'f 


THE  55th  artillery 


Col.  James  F.  Howell 


Col.  John  L.  Roberts 


.Capt.  L.  C.  Mitchell 


Col.  G.  Sevier 
AT  Maison  Forestiere 


Signal  Corps  Photo 
Capt.  W.  L.  Smith 


THE 

55TH  ARTILLERY 

(C.  A.   C.) 
IN    THE 

AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONARY 
FORCES,  FRANCE,  1918 


By 
Frederick  Morse  Cutler,  B.  D. 

CHAPLAIN 
AUTHOR    OF   THE    "  OLD    FIRST " 


WORCESTER,  MASSACHUSETTS 

COMMONWEALTH  PRESS 

1920 


X)57D 

eg 


COPYRIGHT  1920 

BY 

FREDERICK  MORSE   CUTLER 


•  •   -• 


4  .    .      .  ,      , 


•    •  • 


•  •  •  ■  ••" 


TO  FERDINAND   FOCH 

MARSHAL   OF   FRANCE 

OUR  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 


894871 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/55thartillerycac00cutlrich 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I     Beginnings 3 

II     The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  "Mauretania"     ....  26 

III  In  England  and  Into  France 45 

IV  Training 61 

V     Into  the  "Aisne-Marne  Offensive"  '. 91 

VI     With  the  3d  Corps  in  the ''Oise-Aisne  Offensive"       .  104 

VII    To  the  "Meuse-Argonne"  Front 137 

VIII    Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German        .      .  150 

IX    Americans  Great  Halloween  Party          181 

X    The  Armistice        205 

XI     HomewardBound— H.  M.  S. ''Cretic"      .....  222 

XII     The  End 245 

XIII     The  "Old  First"  Massachusetts  Regiment       ...  257 

ROSTER 277 

NECROLOGY 406 

THE  WOUNDED 408 

INDEX             411 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Col.  James  F.  Howell— Col.  John  L.  Roberts— Capt.  L.  C.  Mitchell- 
Col.  G.  Sevier— Capt.  W.  L.  Smith Frontispiece 

The  Author — Capt.  Edward  A.  Kircher — The  Chaplain  in  Action — 
Quartermaster    Steamer    at    Fort    Warren — Fort    Warren — Mary- 
Howell  and  Color  of  55th — Maj.  Gen.  Walter  E.  Lombard   ...  8 
Parade  at  Fort  Andrews — 55th  and  Their  Safe,  Fort  Andrews — Merritt 

Hall— At  Camp  Merritt 9 

Map  of  Boston  Harbor       . 12 

H.  M.  S.  "Mauretania" 26 

The    "  Mauretania's "    War   Paint — American    Destroyer   and   British 

Dirigible — On  the  "Mauretania" 32 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Apple-Distribution — Battery  F,  Romsey 33 

Band  Giving  Concert  at  Aubiere — Battery  C  at  Aubiere 48 

Trembley  Funeral — Street  Slaughter  House — Kitchen,  Aubiere    ...  49 

The  Trail  of  the  55th  in  France 51 

Censor  Stamp 66 

Friends 67 

Royat  and  Puy  de  Dome — Village  Square,  Cebazat — Fire  Drill — Street 

Cleaning,  Cebazat 72 

Beaumont — Battery  E  at  Chateau,  Beaumont — Band-Concert  at  Beau- 
mont— Clermont  Ferrand — 55th  at  Clermont 73 

Training  Area 75 

Gas-mask  Drill — Gas-Alarm — Coupling  Gun  to  Holt  Tractor       ...  80 

Renault  Tractor  Hauhng  Gun — A  75  Holt  Tractor  on  the  Road — Getting 

off  the  Road 81 

Chateau    Chavagniac — Our    Band    at    Chavagniac— Traveling   Across 

Country 88 

The  Christening — The  Christening  Reenacted — The  Christening  Party — 

A  G.  P.  F.  Regiment  Parked — Enjoying  a  Rail  Move      ....  89 

Battery  in  Position — Tractor  and  Crew — Approaching  Position — Laying 

Gun        96 

Cleaning  Romeny — Cleaning  up  After  Cleaning  up  Town — Band  Billet — 

Passing  Thru  Jaulgonne 97 

General  Orders  No.  318 102 

The  French  Glad  to  See  American  G.  P.  F.'s  at  the  Front — Ordnance 

Repair  Truck 104 

Pete  Shea's  Kitchen — American  Graves,   Romeny — French  Artillery- 
man's   House,     Passy — Quentin    Roosevelt's    Grave — Dangerous 

Corner  at  Coulonges 105 

Map,  Operations  on  Vesle — Our  Projectiles — Orienting  the  Battery — 

PoUshing  the  Breech 112 

Ramming  Home  a  G.  P.  F.  Shell 113 

Kitchen,  Maison  Forestiere — Office  of  Headquarters  Co. — Dravegny — 

Firing  While  Wearing  Gas-masks 120 

Reading  the  Shirt — Bathing  at  Abbaye  D'Igny 121 


PAGE 

The  "Cootie" 132 

Entrance  of  B.  C.  Station,  Arcis  le  Ponsart — Battery  C  Firing  at  Night — 

Searching  German  Prisoners        136 

Peaceful  Appearance  of  the  55th — Motor  Transport  Park — Comfort- 
ably placed    at    Charmontois    I'Abbe — Battery    F    on    Road — A 

Glimpse  of  Battery  F 137 

Corking  the  Bottle 155 

Enemy  Planes — Entrance  to  Rest-Camp — Cripples  off  the  Road        .      .  160 

P.  C.  Sevier — Regimental  Telephone  Central 161 

Map,  First  Half  of  Meuse-Argonne 165 

Barbed- Wire  Entanglements — A  German  Trench — Germans  with  Hel- 
mets and  Breastplates — The  Evening  of  "Der  Tag" 168 

Road  Congestion  at  Esnes — Convoy  of  Camions 169 

Brig.  Gen.  W.  C.  Davis — Wagons  Going  to  Front — Pulling  Horse  out 

of  Ditch 176 

Montfaucon — 55th's  P.  C,  Montfaucon— Wine-Cellar  Used  as  P.  C.  177 
Outside  First  Battalion  Headquarters — Taking  It  Easy — First  Battalion 

Headquarters,  Gesnes 184 

Gesnes — Bat.  B  Digging  Shelters — Hit  by  a  German  Shell — Kitchen  at 

Epinonville 185 

Observation  Post  at  Montfaucon        192 

Montfaucon  from  Ivoiry — Montfaucon 193 

Romagne 196 

Second  Battalion  at  Romagne 197 

Mess    Line,    Epinonville — Epinonville — Balloon    on    Fire — Parachute 

FalUng — Bombs  from  German  Plane — Balloon 200 

A  "Good  Morning"  Salvo — German  Dug-Outs — "Beaucoup  Prisoners"  201 

Map,  Nov.  1,  1918 202 

Ready  for  the  Move  to  Sedan — B  at  Gesnes 204 

A  Gun  and  Crew— Bat.  D 205 

Battery  E— Battery  F         216 

French  Peasants  Recover  Buried  Treasure — The   German  Retreat — 

Hardcourt — Champcourt 217 

Main  Street  in  Argentolles — Rest  Billets,  Champcourt — On  the  Road — 

Chateau  Rolland — En  Route  to  Brest  and  Home 232 

Open- Air  Messing  at  Camp  Pontanezen — Messing  at  Brest — The  "Duck- 
board  Brigade" — Headquarters  Company  at  Brest 233 

H.  M.S.  "Cretic"— On  the  "Cretic"— Camp  Mills 240 

55th  upon  Arrival  at  Fort  Scott 241 

First  State  Camp  of  Old  First — South  Armory,  Boston — Col.  George 

F.  Quinby 256 

Mortar   Battery   Night   Practice — Our   Gettysburg   Monument — Fort 

Monroe — How  the  Regiment  Looked 257 

Supply  Co.  at  Yorktown  in  1862— Battery  B  in  1844— The  Train-Band, 

1832— Maj.  Poore  Pays  His  Bet 264 

Artillery  in  1918— Artillery  in  the  World  War— Artillery  in  1784— Bat- 
tery F  in  1835— Battery  F  in  1848 265 

Design  of  the  Gettysburg  Monument 268 

The  White  Diamond  Flag— The  White  Diamond  since  1888  ....  269 


THE  55th  artillery 


Tf 


THE  55TH  ARTILLERY 

CHAPTER  I 

Beginnings 

DURING  the  spring  of  1919,  Boston  and  Providence  news- 
papers contained  articles  similar  to  the  following ;  it  is  re- 
produced, if  one  may  employ  a  musical  metaphor,  as  the 
"overture*'  to  our  story: 

THE  55th  artillery 

"  These  Yanks  came  back  because  'it's  over  over  there.'  On  the 
field  of  battle  the  55th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C,  were  leaders;  and  after 
the  battle,  when  home-coming  was  in  order,  they  still  led.  Their 
song  expresses  the  situation, 

*We  hit  the  trail  of  the  Kaiser, 

We  are  Yankees  thru  and  thru. 
We  showed  the  sons  of  Germany 

What  the  U.  S.  A.  can  do; 
Now  our  mothc.-s,  wives  and  sweethearts 

Will  be  some  proud  to  say 
That  the  boys  from  Massachusetts 
Were  the  first  to  lead  the  way.' 

"A  part  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  the  55th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C,  was  made 
up  of  eight  companies  from  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Boston  and  was 
given  regimental  organization  on  Dec.  1,  1917.  Three  of  its  bat- 
teries and  the  Supply  Co.  came  originally  from  the  historic  old 
First  Massachusetts  Coast  Artillery  and  included  a  large  fraction 
of  that  regiment's  former  personnel.  Amongst  them  were  the 
Boston  Fusiliers  (Bat.  F,  55th)  whose  red  coats  had  gleamed  from 
1787  onward  as  a  scarlet  thread  in  the  civic  fabric  of  Boston.  Two 
batteries  and  the  Headquarters  Co.  were  Boston  Harbor  regulars 
of  long  standing;  while  one  battery  (Bat.  E,  55th)  came  originally 
from  Rhode  Island.  With  all  eight  units  directly  from  Boston 
Harbor  and  seven  of  them  previously  localized  there  during  many 
years,  it  is  fair  to  claim  that  the  55th  was  'the  Boston  Artillery.' 
Its  regimental  funds  were  contributed  by  friends  in  Boston  and 


/::: 


■■•  4 


4.:r     : /v     :  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

vicinity — in  Cambridge,  Chelsea,  Winthrop,  Hull,  Taunton,  New 
Bedford  and  Providence;  its  colors  were  presented  by  Jordan 
Marsh  Company  and  by  women  of  Winthrop — May  1,  1919,  there 
was  a  'return  of  the  colors'  so  that  citizens  and  friends  might  view 
the  silken  emblems  of  heroic  service  in  the  Hall  of  Flags  of  the 
Boston  State  House;  its  Chaplain  was  equipped  by  Emmanuel 
Episcopal  Church,  and  his  supplies  were  kept  up  by  the  Old  South 
Congregational  Church,  both  of  Boston.  'The  Hub'  was  the  mother 
of  the  55th  Artillery — and  she  has  no  occasion  to  blush  for  her 
offspring. 

''The  55th  served  as  part  of  the  Army  Artillery,  First  Army, 
American  Expeditionary  Forces,  France.  The  regiment  was  in  the 
31st  Heavy  Artillery  Brigade,  whose  other  members  were  the  56th 
(from  Connecticut)  and  the  57th  (the  9th  New  York);  the  54th 
(from  Maine),  the  146th  Field  Artillery  (from  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains) and  the  52d  Ammunition  Train  (from  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia) were  also  at  times  attached  to  the  brigade.  Seventy-one 
officers  and  1,716  men  represented  the  aggregate  strength  of  the 
regiment;  Col.  James  F.  Howell,  Col.  Granville  Sevier  and  Col. 
John  L.  Roberts  were  the  successive  Commanding  Officers. 

"A  'fighting  regiment'  was  the  55th  Artillery.  From  New  York 
City  whence  they  sailed  Mch.  25,  1918,  in  the  giant  Cunarder 
'Mauretania,'  from  Liverpool  where  on  Apr.  2  they  landed,  Rom- 
sey  and  Havre  where  they  'rested,'  Clermont  Ferrand  where  they 
'trained,'  Randanne  where  amid  the  heather-clad  peaks  of  Puy  de 
Dome  they  'practised,'  even  to  Champcourt  where  they  'deloused,' 
to  Brest  where  they  injured  their  clothing,  dispositions  and  health 
and  whence  finally,  on  Jan.  10,  1919,  aboard  the  comfortable 
White  Star  liner  'Cretic'  they  sailed  homeward,  to  New  York  City 
where  on  Jan.  22  they  arrived  in  'God's  country,'  to  Camp  Mills 
where  they  took  their  final  baths,  and  to  Fort  Wright,  they  made 
a  record  of  'energy  and  bravery,'  'determination  and  briUiant 
success.'  They  came  to  the  battle-field  at  the  crucial  hour  of  the 
Allied  cause,  and  they  continued  until  the  enemy  was  crushingly 
defeated.  They  trod  the  path  of  battle  during  thirteen  continuous 
weeks,  and  it  led  them  thru  the  shell-torn  and  bloody  fields  of 
Abbaye  d'Igny,  Arcis  le  Ponsart,  Dravegny,  Courville  and  Serzy, 
and  then,  after  a  long  hike,  of  Recicourt,  Avocourt,  Very,  Mont- 
faucon,  Epinonville,  Gesnes,  Romagne  to  Beaufort;  they  were 
constantly  in  action  day  and  night  (to  quote  from  the  citation), 


Beginnings  5 

Responding  with  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  duty  and  superb  effi- 
ciency,' and  their  'accurate  and  powerful  support  was  one  of  the 
main  factors  in  opening  the  way  for  the  infantry  to  advance' ;  the 
'tremendous  volume  of  fire,  the  skilful  arrangement  of  all  objectives 
and  the  perfect  coordination  with  the  infantry  and  machine-guns 
were  a  model  of  completeness';  finally  they  occupied  positions  from 
which  the  Metz-Mezieres  railroad  was  brought  under  interdiction 
fire,  and  so  helped  to  'win  the  greatest  battle  in  history.' 

"The  first  shot  was  fired  by  gun  No.  1  (the  'AlUe')  of  Bat.  A, 
at  Arcis  le  Ponsart,  12.03  p.  m.,  Aug.  9,  and  Sgt.  Mark  M.  Damon, 
the  gun  commander,  was  subsequently  'recommended'  for  a 
decoration  because  of  bravery  under  fire.  The  'AUie'  distinguished 
itself  a  few  weeks  afterward  by  breaking  thru  a  bridge  across  the 
railroad  line  at  Dombasle.  Lt.  Adolph  F.  Youngberg,  at  Mont- 
faucon,  with  great  personal  risk  moved  several  valuable  trucks 
from  their  position  of  dangerous  proximity  to  a  burning  ammuni- 
tion dump,  and  was  recommended  for  his  gallantry.  Pvt.  James 
F.  Lally  of  Bat.  C  was  killed  in  a  bombing  raid  under  circum- 
stances of  distinguished  heroism;  as  telephone  operator  it  was  his 
duty  to  stand  by  the  tree  on  which  his  instrument  hung,  and  he 
continued  on  duty  after  the  approach  of  the  enemy  plane  had  been 
heard  and  all  his  comrades  had  taken  cover.  A  controversy 
existed  as  to  who  fired  the  final  shot;  it  was  agreed  that  10.42  a.  m. 
on  Nov.  11  was  the  time  and  Beaufort  the  place,  but  both  Sgt. 
Ralph  Eaton  of  No.  3  gun  (the  'Ella  G'),  Bat.  E,  and  Sgt.  Fred  A. 
Jordan  of  No.  3  gun  (the  'Alky'),  Bat.  F,  claimed  to  have  performed 
the  historic  deed.  Maj.  Nestor,  the  battalion  commander,  in- 
clined to  support  the  Bat.  F  claim. 

''The  regiment  had  a  share  in  three  distinct  'major  operations,' 
the  Aisne-Marne  Offensive,  the  Oise-Aisne  Offensive  and  the  great 
Meuse-Argonne  Offensive;  they  were  in  action  on  the  Aisne,  Aug. 
9  to  Sept.  9,  and  between  the  Meuse  and  the  Argonne  thereafter 
until  Nov.  11.  They  were  armed  with  twenty-four  155  mm.  high- 
power  motorized  Filloux  rifles,  all  duly  and  properly  christened; 
and  altogether  they  fired  32,678  rounds.  Each  separate  projectile 
was  sufficiently  destructive  to  wreck  a  house — Bat.  F  on  the 
Aisne  actually  demoHshed  a  large  distillery,  miles  away,  by  five 
well-directed  shots. 

"American  and  French  commanding  officers  issued  general 
orders  praising  and  citing  the  regiment  for  gallant  conduct  in  both 


6  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

of  their  battles.  Telephone  wires  were  continual  victims  of  enemy 
shell-fire,  so  that  on  one  occasion  thirty-nine  distinct  breaks  were 
found  in  a  single  line;  special  praise  was  meted  out  to  the  ofiicers 
and  men  in  charge  of  communications,  the  oflBcers  being  Capt.  T. 
J.  Leary  and  Lts.  J.  C.  Bates,  R.  D.  Pierce,  F.  Camm  and  W.  A. 
Hodge.  Montfaucon  possesses  most  tragic  memories  for  members 
of  the  55th,  as  there  they  were  part  of  the  army's  exposed  center 
bulge  or  salient  and  there  consequently  they  lost  six  of  those  who 
constituted  their  total  of  'killed  or  died  of  wounds.'  The  regiment's 
losses  were  thirteen  killed  in  action,  twenty-two  or  more  who  died 
from  sickness  or  accident  and  forty-eight  wounded  who  did  not  die; 
and  the  figures  would  have  been  far  higher  except  for  the  admirable 
discipline  of  the  command  and  the  tactical  skill  manifested  in  its 
handhng. 

"On  Jan.  29,  1919,  the  War  Department  announced  the  adoption 
of  a  plan  for  perpetuating  the  names  and  service  records  of  National 
Guard  and  National  Army  units  which  had  distinguished  themselves 
overseas,  and  continuing  them  as  regiments  or  divisions  of  the 
Regular  Army;  and  the  55th  Artillery  was  the  very  first  such  unit 
to  be  thus  honored.  While  fully  appreciating  the  distinction  con- 
ferred, the  regiment  did  not  equally  enjoy  the  assignment  which 
accompanied  it — namely,  to  Fort  Winfield  Scott  in  the  Coast 
Defenses  of  San  Francisco;  the  regimental  heart  yearned  for  Boston. 
All  discharges  having  been  granted  to  which  men  were  entitled,  on 
Feb.  17  the  regiment  started  for  its  new  station  with  a  strength  of 
170  men  and  9  officers;  after  a  marvelous  scenic  journey  via  Chicago, 
Colorado  Springs  (where  they  indulged  in  a  street  parade  as  their 
expression  of  appreciation  for  the  many  courtesies  extended  by  the 
local  Red  Cross),  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  Feather  River,  they  were 
welcomed  by  the  San  Francisco  Red  Cross  at  Oakland,  Feb.  23,  and 
were  transported  in  the  Government  steamer  to  Fort  Scott.  Every- 
one who  could  devise  a  reasonable  pretext  proceeded  to  apply  for 
transfer  back  to  Boston  or  for  discharge,  with  the  immediate  result 
of  a  considerable  diminution  of  even  the  existing  reduced  numbers. 
The  regiment  was  promptly  equipped  with  twenty-four  155  mm.  G. 
P.  F.  rifles." 

The  "overture"  endeth. 

Despondency  was  beginning  to  grip  the  hearts  of  Boston  Harbor's 
coast  artillery  garrison  in  the  late  autumn  of  1917;  it  appeared  that 


Beginnings  7 

nothing  short  of  a  miracle  could  ever  bring  a  German  warship  over 
to  attack  the  Massachusetts  coast,  and  it  seemed  equally  improb- 
able that  anything  would  happen  to  secure  overseas  service  for  the 
defenders  of  the  coast.  They  were  all  volunteers,  as  the  draft  was 
not  to  send  its  first  man  into  the  harbor  until  Christmas  time ;  and 
they  had  volunteered  with  the  idea  that  the  sea-coast  would  be  the 
very  first  active  front  for  American  troops.  Not  only  were  they 
disappointed  in  this  expectation  but  they  were  also  compelled  to 
remain  quiet  while  their  numbers  were  depleted  and  their  organiza- 
tions gave  up  detachment  after  detachment  to  increase  the  strength 
of  more  fortunate  units.  The  July  previous,  five  entire  companies 
of  Regular  Army  coast  artillery  left  Boston,  three  to  become  incorpo- 
rated in  the  new  30th  Heavy  Artillery  Brigade,  Railway  Artillery  Re- 
serve, and  two  in  the  39th  Brigade,  Army  Artillery,  and  all  presently 
disappeared  "somewhere  in  France."  In  August,  Gen.  Clarence  R. 
Edwards  awoke  to  the  possibilities  of  his  position  wherein  he  was 
simultaneously  commanding  both  the  new  26th  Division  and  also 
the  Northeastern  Department  and  stripped  the  department  in 
order  to  build  up  the  division.  When  several  hundred  coast  artil- 
lerymen had  been  transferred  from  Boston  Harbor  to  the  51st 
Field  Artillery  Brigade  and  the  101st  Ammunition  Train,  their 
unfortunate  comrades  who  were  not  chosen  eased  their  ruffled  feel- 
ings by  making  ungracious  remarks  as  to  the  need  existing  in  the 
26th  Division  for  coast  artillerymen  to  "tone  up"  the  overseas 
organization.  Other  companies  departed  to  do  guard  duty  at 
Boston,  Watertown  and  Springfield.  Reports  came  that  the  first 
Yankee  shot  against  the  Germans  had  been  fired  by  Bat.  C,  6th  F. 
Arty.,  on  Oct.  23;  and  yet  no  gleam  of  dawning  hope  brightened 
any  quarter  of  the  horizon  for  the  disconsolate  garrison  of  the 
Boston  forts.  Altho  they  had  not  yet  learned  the  deep  significance 
attaching  to  the  letters  "s.o.l.,"  they  were  beginning  to  feel  the 
bitter  truth  of  the  expression  as  applicable  to  themselves. 

When  the  gloom  was  deepest,  appeared  Bulletin  45  from  the 
Headquarters  of  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Boston  at  Fort  Warren, 
dated  Dec.  1,  1917,  with  the  cheering  announcement  that  "the 
55th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C,  is  organized  in  this  coast  defense  com- 
mand."    Both  interest  and  hope  revived. 

Dec.  1,  1917,  was  the  regimental  birthday;  to  be  sure,  the  Ad- 
jutant GeneraFs  Office  of  the  War  Department  had  written  a  letter 
Nov.  20,  1917,  containing  instructions  which  looked  toward  the 


8  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

regimental  advent,  and  the  aforesaid  instructions  had  been  com- 
municated to  the  coast  defense  command  by  a  letter  ("No.  322.05") 
from  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  North  Atlantic  Coast  Artillery- 
District  dated  Nov.  22,  but  it  was  Bulletin  45  which  actually  put 
these  instructions  into  effect  and  produced  the  new  regiment. 

Certain  companies  were  named  in  the  Bulletin  as  constituting 
the  regiment.  At  once  the  other  companies  began  to  inquire 
whether  they  could  not  secure  the  detail  and  be  substituted  for 
those  originally  named;  and  one  such  exchange  did  actually  take 
place  when  the  16th  Co.  (the  old  Roxbury  City  Guard)  had  to  give 
way,  much  against  their  will,  to  the  more  fortunate  19th  Co.  Evi- 
dently a  large  number  of  individuals  would  be  transferred  to  the 
new  regiment  in  order  to  bring  up  the  membership  of  the  batteries 
from  109  to  the  new  figure,  219;  and  almost  everyone  became  eager 
to  go. 

While  subsequent  regiments  consisted  of  newly  created  units 
made  up  for  the  purpose  by  transferring  men  from  older  companies, 
the  55th  comprized  eight  actually  existing  organizations  from  the 
harbor,  eight  units  of  long  standing  and  honorable  record;  so  that 
the  departure  of  the  55th  overseas  left  eight  vacancies  in  the  coast 
defense  command.  As  soon  as  one  says  "  eight,"  one  becomes  aware 
of  objection  from  the  bandsmen,  and  with  good  reason;  the  10th 
Band,  C.  A.  C,  came  into  the  55th  as  a  distinct  unit;  and  altho  it 
merged  in  the  Headquarters  Co.,  its  incorporation  with  the  55th 
created  a  ninth  vacancy  in  the  harbor.  According  to  Bulletin  45 
the  composition  of  the  55th  was  as  follows: 

Headquarters  Co. — the  13th  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  152d  Co., 
C.  A.  C,  organized  Aug.  5,  1907. 

The  Band,  which  became  part  of  Hq.  Co. — the  10th  Band,  C.  A. 
C,  organized  June  6,  1901. 

Battery  A — the  1st  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  96th  Co.,  C.  A.  C, 
organized  June  13,  1901. 

Battery  B — the  26th  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  11th  Co.,  Mass. 
C.  A.  N.  G.,  organized  Sept.  21, 1821,  and  subsequently  reorganized. 
Originally  known  as  the  Boston  City  Guard,  it  had  revived  as  the 
Maverick  Rifles. 

Battery  C— the  8th  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  83d  Co.,  C.  A.  C, 
organized  Apr.  6,  1901. 

Battery  D— the  19th  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  4th  Co.,  Mass. 
C.  A.  N.  G.,  organized  July  22,  1852.  It  was  known  as  the  New 
Bedford  City  Guards. 


The  Author 


Capt.  Edward  A.  Kircher 


Thk  Chaplain  in  Action,  Fort  Warren 


Quartermaster  Steamer  at  Fort  Warren 


Fort  Warren 


Copyright  International 
Mary  Howell  and  Color  of  55th 


Maj.  Gen.  Walter  E.  Lombard 


Parade  at  Fort  Andrews 


55th  and  Their  Safe,  Fort  Andrews 


Merritt  Hall 


J 


At  Camp  Merkitt 


Beginnings  9 

Battery  E— the  29th  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  9th  Co.,  R.  I.  C. 
A.  N.  G.,  organized  1893. 

Battery  F — the  18tb  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  3d  Co.,  Mass. 
C.  A.  N.  G.,  organized  May  11, 1787,  and  known  as  the  Independent 
Boston  Fusiliers. 

Supply  Co. — the  20th  Co.,  Boston,  formerly  the  5th  Co.,  Mass. 
C.  A.  N.  G.,  organized  Oct.  5, 1852,  and  known  as  the  Chelsea  Rifles. 

According  to  the  official  report,  "All  Coast  Artillery  units  in  the 
Coast  Defenses  of  Boston  contributed  to  the  membership  of  the 
55th;  far  more  than  half  of  the  members  of  the  former  Mass.  C.  A. 
N.  G.  passed  into  the  new  regiment;  the  16th  Co.,  Boston  (formerly 
the  1st  Mass.  C.  A.  N.  G.),  17th  (2d  Mass.  or  Tigers),  24th  (9th 
Mass.)  and  31st  (13th  R.  I.)  gave  up  practically  their  entire  per- 
sonnel to  the  55th,  while  the  21st  Co.  (6th  Mass.  or  Washington 
Light  Guards)  was  heavily  drawn  upon."  Altho  the  Mass.  C.  A.  N. 
G.  had  taken  53  officers  and  1,437  men  into  Federal  service,  after 
the  mustering  officer  had  finished  with  them  and  Gen.  Edwards  had 
appropriated  all  he  needed  for  the  26th  Division  they  had  only  45 
officers  and  955  men  left  in  the  harbor  when  the  55th  was  formed; 
of  the  latter,  21  officers  and  638  men  entered  the  new  regiment. 
From  the  five  companies  of  R.  I.  C.  A.  N.  G.  in  the  harbor  also  a 
large  proportion  were  transferred  to  the  55th,  the  figures  being  10 
officers  and  some  300  men.  Six  ex-Massachusetts  coast  artillery- 
men, who  had  previously  entered  training-school  from  the  N.  G. 
and  received  Reserve  commissions,  became  officers  in  the  new  regi- 
ment. 

Figures  are  not  available  to  show  exactly  what  proportion  of 
drafted  men  were  eventually  added  to  the  regiment  nor  how  com- 
pletely it  consisted  of  volunteers,  but  certainly  the  latter  were 
always  in  huge  preponderance;  at  the  time  of  the  armistice,  when 
the  batteries  had  received  many  National  Army  men  thru  replace- 
ment drafts,  there  were  only  24  such  in  Bat.  B  and  28  in  Bat.  C. 

Officers  were  assigned  to  the  55th  by  Special  Order  282,  War 
Department,  dated  Dec.  4,  1917;  and  immediately  everyone  who 
had  not  been  named,  endeavored  to  effect  substitution  and  get 
himself  included.  It  appeared  that  the  formation  of  the  regiment 
was  not  a  new  plan  on  the  part  of  the  Washington  authorities, 
that  indeed  they  must  have  prepared  the  list  of  officers  at  least 
four  months  previously;  for  they  included  amongst  those  to  serve 
with  the  55th  three  who  had  gone  overseas  with  the  26th  Divi- 


10  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

sion  long  before.  Now  these  three  places  were  filled  by  additional 
officers,  a  few  were  made  happy,  and  the  unsuccessful  ones  became 
more  disappointed  than  ever.  As  the  regiment  was  ultimately 
constituted,  the  roster  of  officers  comprized  16  Regulars  (of  whom 
5  were  West  Point  graduates),  26  National  Guardsmen,  44  Reserv- 
ists, and  2  National  Army.  Officers  were  assigned  to  duty  by 
Special  Order  1,  Headquarters  55th  Artillery,  Fort  Andrews, 
Mass.,  Dec.  15,  1917.  One  captain  had  anticipated  continuing 
with  a  company  which  he  had  commanded  during  pre-war  days. 
Human  nature  being  as  it  is,  one  inevitably  ''gets  along"  better 
with  certain  men  than  with  others,  and  this  "centurion"  had 
been  quietly  requesting  the  transfer  of  his  non-affinities  into  another 
company;  judge  therefore  of  his  dismay  when  he  found  himself 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  very  unit  into  which  his  ''trans- 
ferred" men  had  gone. 

There  was  a  general  shortage  of  various  equipment.  But  the 
worst  troubles  were  caused  by  the  terrific  winter  of  1917-18.  Not 
since  1844  had  the  harbor  been  so  frozen  that  it  was  possible  to 
walk  ashore  from  islands  half  a  dozen  miles  out;  the  Quartermaster 
boats  at  times  were  unable  to  call  at  a  post  like  Fort  Andrews 
for  several  days.  Bat.  E  at  Fort  Standish  lived  from  hand  to  mouth 
for  weeks  in  the  matter  of  coal  and  wood  due  to  the  shortage  of 
fuel  in  New  England  and  the  difficulty  and  uncertainty  of  harbor 
transportation.  The  boats  ran  so  irregularly,  if  they  ran  at  all, 
that  the  wise  ones,  after  an  experience  or  two  of  famine,  never 
went  aboard  without  taking  luncheons  along.  The  ice  drove  the 
"Gen.  Anderson"  and  the  Navy  boat  for  Bumpkin's  Island  on 
the  rocks  of  Peddock's  Island,  fortunately,  however,  not  wrecking 
them.  Once  when  the  rudder  of  the  "Gen.  Jessup"  had  been 
smashed  by  ice  off  Nix's  Mate,  a  large  party  of  officers  and  men  of 
the  regiment  spent  an  entire  night  on  board;  the  accident  was  re- 
peated a  little  later,  and  it  is  said  that  the  skipper,  Capt.  Learson, 
actually  climbed  down  on  the  ice  and  walked  around  to  inspect 
damages. 

Harbor  barracks  were  crowded  to  at  least  twice  their  normal 
capacity,  and  it  was  necessary  to  keep  all  windows  open  in  order 
to  prevent  disease;  so  the  batteries  had  a  taste  of  winter  rigor 
while  still  at  home  in  the  United  States.  Bat.  D  was  housed  in 
flimsy  wooden  barracks  where  the  stoves,  on  account  of  the  ex- 
treme cold,  would  not  give  sufficient  heat  to  cook  food;  and  thru- 


Beginnings  11 

out  the  battery  there  were  six  men  to  every  available  mess-kit. 
As  the  regimental  units  were  on  different  islands  in  the  harbor 
and  depended  upon  telephone  service  for  the  communication  neces- 
sary in  organizing,  it  was  a  real  calamity  when,  one  night,  an 
anchored  vessel,  caught  in  the  ice-pack,  dragged  anchor  and  broke 
the  cable  giving  telephonic  connection  with  Boston. 

To  draw  supplies  was  quite  an  adventure  in  itself.  One  could 
go  to  Fort  Warren  only  when  a  boat  succeeded  in  running,  and  a 
disaster  to  the  vessel  meant  no  supplies;  equally  uncertain  was  the 
return  voyage,  and  yet  one  must  get  off  George's  Island,  where 
every  cranny  was  filled  and  no  temporary  quarters  could  possibly 
be  found.  When,  one  day.  Bat.  F's  supply  party  were  returning 
from  Fort  Warren,  they  narrowly  missed  spending  the  night  in  the 
ice  floe,  and  extricated  themselves  only  by  following  a  narrow 
crack,  twenty  minutes  before  the  ''Gen.  Jessup,"  a  much  more 
powerful  boat,  became  stuck  for  the  whole  night.  Arrived  at  the 
Fort  Strong  pier,  ice  conditions  made  it  impossible  to  land  except 
with  the  prow  pointed  directly  toward  the  dock;  moreover,  the 
tide  was  at  lowest  ebb.  To  get  the  boxes  of  supplies  off  the  boat 
it  was  necessary  for  the  men  to  climb  up  the  dock  on  swaying 
boards  while  lashed  fast  with  ropes  to  keep  from  falling;  a  big  case 
containing  some  eighty  pairs  of  field  shoes  broke  open  in  the  pro- 
cess of  landing  and  the  contents  fell  out,  luckily,  however,  drop- 
ping back  into  the  boat. 

While  the  work  of  organization  went  forward  and  with  it  instruc- 
tion in  the  mysteries  of  field  artillery,  the  routine  coast  artillery 
duties  had  also  to  be  performed,  both  drill  and  instruction;  for  we 
stood  in  dual  relationship — we  were  training  for  overseas  service 
at  the  same  time  that  we  constituted  Boston's  principal  defense 
against  naval  attack.  Owing  to  the  vast  amount  of  work,  it  was 
found  necessary  to  relieve  subsequent  regiments  of  this  double 
duty,  and  free  them  from  coast  defense  responsibilities.  With 
four  hours  of  school  for  officers  in  the  afternoon  and  classes  for 
non-commissioned  officers  each  evening  and  the  never  ending 
paper  and  administrative  work  arising  from  divided  authority, 
everyone  was  saved  from  the  perils  of  idleness.  Constant  reports 
must  be  made  to  the  Coast  Defense  Headquarters,  the  regimental 
Headquarters  of  the  55th,  the  North  Atlantic  District  and  the 
Northeastern  Department,  while  the  regiment  itself  maintained 
three  centers  of  administration — at  Fort  Andrews  where  Head- 


12 


The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 


quarters  was  located,  Fort  Warren  where  transfers  were  recorded 
and  at  Fort  Banks  where  the  Colonel  resided.  Insurance  and  allot- 
ment began  to  claim  attention  during  the  winter  months;  and 
as  the  regulations  governing  them  changed  from  hour  to  hour, 


^AHANT^ 


FORT  HEATH 

BATTEur  C. 


RT  3^^lKS 

BATTERY  U. 


MAP    OF    BOSTON 
HARBOR. 

SHOWING  DISTRIBUTION  OP 
UNITS  OF  55""  ARTILLERr, 
CAC.     »N     WINTER   I9n-(a, 


IFORT  STANDI5H;TjJ«^*^ 


ATLM^TIC 
OCEAN 


eoSTON 
SHIP 


GEoteEi^FORT   WARREN 

RWNJFO«»  ' 


COAST  OEFE^SE  HOST., 


AmO    RC«r.  aoPPLt  PEPOT. 

.LLtRTOH 


HINGHAtl  BAT.  •'''^- 


E.    A.   KIRCHER 


they  came  to  be  regarded  as  twin  abominations  of  the  devil;  a 
battery  of  three  typewriters  and  a  platoon  of  clerks  commanded 
by  two  Ueutenants  were  busy  for  a  month  keeping  these  papers 
written  and  rewritten,  half  a  dozen  times,  in  compliance  with 
fluctuating  rules  and  interpretations — all  this  in  a  single  battery. 


Beginnings  13 

Work  was  not  permitted  entirely  to  exclude  enjoyment.  When- 
ever the  weather  became  semi-moderate  and  the  men  could  assemble 
sufficient  equipment,  outdoor  drills  were  held  in  artillery  or  infan- 
try, often  assuming  the  form  of  long  hikes  ("collecting  kilometers," 
we  used  to  call  the  sport,  afterwards,  in  France.)  On  one  such 
occasion,  the  journey  being  made  in  heavy  marching  order.  Bat. 
D  manifested  great  interest  in  Capt.  Stitt's  physical  welfare  and 
took  care  that  he  should  not  suffer  for  lack  of  proper  exercise. 
Unknown  to  the  Captain,  a  pair  of  iron  dumb-bells  and  other  heavy 
junk  were  rolled  into  his  pack;  and  he  innocently  wore  it  thruout 
the  entire  distance.  So  mighty  a  man  was  the  pack-bearer  that  he 
never  noticed  the  slight  increment;  and  when  he  had  returned  to 
quarters  without  having  "tumbled,"  he  caused  the  men  to  wonder 
whether  the  joke  was  not  on  them  after  all. 

Boston  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  her  "own"  artillery  and 
honored  the  55th  with  a  succession  of  entertainments  and  dances, 
aiming  incidentally  to  accumulate  a  fund  of  $18,000  wherewith 
the  regiment  could  estabhsh  a  regimental  exchange.  Each  battery 
undertook  to  raise  a  smaller  fund  for  its  own  use.  On  Jan.  19, 
1918,  the  ladies  of  Winthrop  manifested  their  interest  in  the  55th 
and  their  friendliness  for  Col.  Howell  by  presenting  a  silken  regi- 
mental color;  Mrs.  Anthony  F.  Holahan,  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Cowan 
and  others  arranged  a  concert  in  the  Elks'  Home  with  numbers 
by  Bernice  Fisher  Butler,  soprano,  Edna  Sheppard,  pianist,  Ser- 
gei Adamsky,  tenor,  and  Ralph  Smalley,  'cellist,  and  Ida  McCar- 
thy and  James  A.  Ecker  at  the  piano,  and  followed  with  presenta- 
tion speeches  and  an  informal  reception  and  dancing.  A  week  later 
(Jan.  26)  a  large  concourse  of  friends  assembled  in  the  South  Armory 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Massachusetts  Coast  Artillery  Auxiliary  to 
witness  the  presentation  of  a  National  color.  Gen.  Walter  E.  Lom- 
bard presided;  and  the  flag,  which  had  been  given  by  Jordan  Marsh 
Company  in  honor  of  the  thirty  employees  of  their  firm  who  be- 
longed to  the  55th  Artillery,  was  delivered  to  the  regiment  by 
Speaker  Channing  H.  Cox  of  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives and  by  Mr.  Wilson  of  the  firm.  Col.  Howell's  beau- 
tiful daughter,  Mary,  "daughter  of  the  regiment,"  stepped  for- 
ward here,  as  she  had  done  at  Winthrop,  and  received  the  gift 
in  behalf  of  the  men;  alas,  that  she  was  not  permitted  to  live  thru- 
out the  ensuing  months  so  as  to  lend  the  brightness  and  cheer  of 
her  smile  when  the  colors  were  returned  and  welcomed  in  the  spring 


14  The  Fifiy-fifih  Artillery 

of  1919!  Gen.  J.  A.  Johnston,  commanding  the  Northeastern  De- 
partment, Brig.  Gen.  R.  A.  Howze,  Chief  of  Staff,  Col.  C.  A.  Ben- 
nett, commanding  the  North  Atlantic  Coast  Artillery  District, 
Col.  Thomas  Ridgway,  commander  of  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Bos- 
ton, and  Mr.  Robert  Newcomb  also  spoke.  While  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  regimental  fund  was  successfully  accumulated  thru 
the  generosity  of  friends  in  Boston  and  Providence  and  suburban 
centers,  the  regimental  exchange  had  an  ill-omened  career;  start- 
ing without  accurate  compUance  with  regulations  and  presently 
running  foul  of  the  new  rule  which  made  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  sole 
dispensatory  of  small  stores,  it  ran  a  gantlet  of  criticism  and  oppo- 
sition from  the  start,  and  eventually  its  funds  were  apportioned 
amongst  the  batteries.  Upon  arrival  home  in  the  spring  of  1919, 
some  $2,000  remained  in  the  treasury  of  the  exchange  and  was 
then  finally  divided  up.  A  dupUcate  stand  of  colors  was  received 
from  the  Government;  the  regiment  carried  both  sets  to  France. 
No  guidons  were  issued,  and  battery  seamstresses  had  to  improvize 
in  order  to  meet  this  need. 

As  a  solemn  setting  to  these  festivities  stood  the  fact  that  on 
Jan.  19,  in  a  sector  of  the  Allied  line  northwest  of  Toul,  American 
troops,  amongst  them  men  of  the  C.  A.  C.  in  the  1st  Trench  Mor- 
tar Battery,  1st  Division,  for  the  first  time  occupied  and  held 
trenches  face  to  face  with  the  enemy;  what  a  contrast  France 
afforded,  where  the  weather  on  the  day  in  question  was  reported 
to  be  "as  warm  as  ApriF^! 

Col.  James  F.  Howell  left  the  regiment  Feb.  9,  and  transferred 
to  the  General  Staff  Corps,  becoming  Chief  of  Staff  in  the  newly 
formed  Army  Artillery;  he  was  succeeded  by  Col.  Granville  Sevier. 
The  new  Commanding  Officer  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  a  descend- 
ant of  John  Sevier,  the  hero  of  King's  Mountain;  he  had  been  an 
officer  in  the  Regular  Army  since  the  time  of  the  Spanish  War, 
having  entered  service  with  the  Tennessee  volunteers. 

"A  Day  with  the  55th,"  on  Monday  evening,  Feb.  11,  again 
drew  crowds  of  friends  to  the  South  Armory  to  manifest  interest 
in  the  "Boston  artillery.''  Batteries  C  and  D  gave  gun  drills  and 
illustrated  the  routine  of  a  soldier's  life  from  reveille  to  taps,  in- 
cluding "mess,"  and  a  concert  was  given  by  the  Bat.  B  glee  club; 
while  the  program  ended  with  general  dancing  which  was  far  from 
being  part  of  the  every-day  regimental  routine.  Jordan  Marsh 
Company  provided  the  decorations;  and  the  Band,  under  the  leader- 


Beginnings  15 

ship  of  Eric  H.  F.  Svensson,  as  on  the  former  occasions,  furnished 
fine  music.  Mrs.  Harry  Converse  and  Mrs.  James  J.  Storrow, 
prominent  in  Boston  society,  were  in  general  charge. 

Tickets  to  "A  Day  with  the  55th"  sold  at  $2  and  $5,  and  a  num- 
ber were  sent  to  each  fort  for  sale  amongst  the  soldiers.  As  the 
men  already  had  all  they  could  swing  in  supporting  their  own 
battery  dances,  they  did  not  respond  enthusiastically  to  this  larger 
opportunity.  Maj.  Holbrook,  who  was  both  Fort  Commander 
at  Strong  and  also  Major  of  the  3d  Batl.,  desired  to  help  in  market- 
ing the  tickets  and  asked  his  Post  Adjutant  for  suggestions.  *'  Leave 
it  to  me,  I'll  fix  it,"  said  the  latter.  So  before  long  an  order  issued, 
that  on  Feb.  11  no  passes  would  be  granted,  but  anyone  buying 
a  ticket  and  showing  the  same  to  his  first  sergeant  would  be  put 
on  a  special  pass  list,  available  that  morning  and  the  privilege 
good  for  twenty-four  hours.  As  the  extremely  cold  weather  made 
it  doubtful  whether  boats  could  run  that  day,  one  of  the  men 
inquired  what  they  would  do  in  that  case  and  was  told,  **Get 
there  any  way  you  can;  I  don't  care  how."  About  11  o'clock  the 
special  list  was  sent  to  the  Post  Adjutant  bearing  about  seventy 
names;  and  two  minutes  later  the  telephone  rang  in  the  office  of 
a  battery  commander,  to  demand  what  was  meant  by  sending  in 
seventy  names  when  only  nine  tickets  had  been  sold  by  the  Ad- 
jutant. Assurance  was  given  that  every  man  who  asked  for  a 
pass  had  produced  a  ticket;  but  this  failed  to  mollify  the  irate 
Adjutant.  So  orders  came  out  that  at  12.30  p.  m.,  one-half  hour 
prior  to  boat  time,  all  men  on  the  pass  list  were  to  form  in  front  of 
the  barracks  and  have  their  tickets  checked  up;  the  storming 
Adjutant  calculated  that,  rather  than  get  themselves  into  trouble, 
the  men  would  avail  themselves  of  a  final  opportunity  and  buy 
tickets.     Twelve-thirty  came,  and  two  men  appeared. 

"Where  are  the  rest?"  demanded  the  Adjutant. 

"Sir,"  replied  the  first  sergeant,"  they  followed  your  instructions 
to  go  to  town  any  way  they  could,  and  walked  to  the  city  over  the 
ice."    The  Adjutant  gave  up;  that  was  a  body  blow. 

Bat.  B  gave  a  successful  dance  at  Paul  Revere  Hall  in  the  Me- 
chanics Building  on  Feb.  16,  and  Bat.  F  the  same  evening  attracted 
a  large  number  of  friends  to  Horticultural  Hall  for  a  similar  pur- 
pose, Lt.  Gov.  Calvin  Coolidge  being  guest  of  honor  at  the  latter 
place;  about  the  same  time  Bat.  E  conducted  a  big  entertainment 
in  Providence.    The  men  had  now  commenced  to  advertize  their 


16  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

social  functions  as  "farewells"  and  continued  doing  so  until  they 
found  themselves  nick-named  the  "Sarah  Bernhardt  regiment 
(so  many  farewells)  '^ — ^then  the  custom  ceased. 

Bat.  F,  who  engineered  this  stunt,  was  a  body  possessing  unique 
ingenuity  and  deserving  of  special  mention.  For  one  hundred 
thirty  years  they  had  been  the  "Independent  Boston  Fusiliers," 
and  they  remained  true  to  type  during  the  entire  war.  Their  first 
captain,  William  Turner,  had  been  in  civil  life  a  dancing-master, 
and  from  him  they  doubtless  derived  their  fondness  and  talent 
for  social  festivity. 

Their  battle  cry  was : 

"  We  may  be  rough, 
We  may  be  tough, 
But  Battery  F 
Has  got  the  stuff." 

One  of  their  majors  said  it  was  too  bad  that  they  felt  called  upon 
to  keep  up  a  reputation  for  toughness,  "So  hard  that  they  would 
bounce,"  as  he  phrased  it;  for  they  were  not  tough  at  all.  Cer- 
tainly their  battery  officers  never  found  them  lacking  in  loyal 
response;  and  efficient  they  were  ever.  Inexplicable  stunts  they 
would  pull  off,  and  they  could  not  be  handled  like  a  more  conven- 
tional company;  clan  feeling  was  very  strong,  and  from  Sgt.  Mclsaac 
down,  they  clung  together  "like  a  ball  of  wax."  At  Fort  Strong 
they  built  a  raft  on  the  farther  end  of  Long  Island,  ordered  a  pair 
of  sculls  from  Boston  so  that  they  could  row  over  to  the  city  be- 
tween retreat  and  reveille  and  say  "Goodbye,"  while  all  but  the 
sentinels  at  the  fort  lay  sound  asleep;  they  almost  had  heart  failure 
when  the  sculls  arrived  and  by  mistake  were  delivered  at  some 
officer's  quarters,  but  they  effected  a  rescue  before  the  plot  was 
discovered.  While  at  Camp  Merritt  they  held  a  battery  meeting 
in  Herald  Square,  New  York  City,  one  evening  (or  more  accurately, 
one  midnight),  all  of  course  being  a.  w.  o.  1.  But  as  fighters  they 
were  superb,  and  as  loyal  friends  they  could  not  be  surpassed. 
"F"  was  the  appropriate  letter  by  which  to  designate  the  Fusiliers, 
as  it  had  been  their  original  designation,  borne  by  them  in 
the  Old  First  between  Apr.  25,  1842,  and  Mch.  1,  1859  (prior  to 
1842  there  were  no  company  letters).  The  name,  "Fusilier," 
indicated  a  soldier  armed  with  a  "fusil,"  a  weapon  otherwise 
known  as  a  snaphaunce  or  smooth-bore  flintlock;  during  the  World 
War,  the  term  was  revived  and  employed  to  designate  the  wielders 


Beginnings  17 

of  small  machine-guns  or  "automatic  rifles"  in  a  regiment.  While 
Bat.  F  served  too  large  a  type  of  ordnance  to  permit  of  their  classi- 
fication with  the  "fusiliers"  of  the  American  Expeditionary- 
Forces,  they  were  not  untrue  to  type;  for  they  accumulated  a 
remarkably  fine  battery  of  captured  machine-guns  in  the  course 
of  their  campaigning. 

Col.  Howell  had  been  urgent  to  have  his  officers  uniformly  and 
handsomely  equipped;  he  had  argued  his  point  by  calling  atten- 
tion to  the  costly  artillery  materiel  with  which  the  55th  was  to  be 
provided,  making  it  the  most  expensively  equipped  regiment  ever 
organized  in  America.  So  all  the  original  officers  bought  riding- 
boots  and  spurs  at  S35  or  thereabouts  per  pair,  and  thereafter 
amid  American  snow  and  French  mud  kept  wondering  why  they 
had  been  so  prodigal  in  their  investment.  Col.  Sevier  was  not 
equally  interested  in  the  personal  accouterments  of  his  officers; 
and  those  joining  the  regiment  later  were  able  to  save  much  money. 

Emmanuel  Episcopal  Church  of  Boston,  at  the  suggestion  of 
Bishop  Lawrence,  had  given  Chaplain's  equipment  to  the  Chap- 
Iain  of  the  Boston  Coast  Defenses — a  motor-truck,  a  picture-ma- 
chine, an  altar-set,  typewriter,  an  Edison  talking-machine,  and 
other  necessary  things — a  broad-minded  patriotic  service,  for  the 
Chaplain  did  not  happen  to  be  an  Episcopalian;  somewhat  later 
the  Old  South  Congregational  Church  of  Boston  undertook  the 
expense  of  maintaining  this  equipment  thruout  the  war.  When 
Chaplain  Oliver  followed  Col.  Howell  into  the  Army  Artillery  and, 
on  Mch.  9,  Chaplain  Cutler  became  a  member  of  the  55th,  his 
equipment  was  rendered  available  for  the  new  regiment;  Quarter- 
master regulations  prevented  the  shipment  of  the  truck  overseas 
(howbeit  it  did  much  service  while  we  were  in  the  harbor),  but 
the  other  articles  mentioned  never  ceased  to  be  sources  of  utility 
and  dehght.  Miss  G.  Bayley  of  Roxbury  added  a  set  of  altar- 
cloths  made  with  her  own  needle,  in  the  five  colors  of  the  Christian 
year,  and  Roman  Catholic  friends  provided  a  supply  of  sacrament- 
wine. 

A  religious  census  taken  later  revealed  the  same  diversity  in  the 
regimental  personnel  as  existed  in  the  communities  from  which 
the  men  came;  there  were  45%  of  Catholics,  23^^%  Hebrews, 
while  the  others  classified  as  Protestants.  Almost  every  racial 
stock  was  represented,  just  as  is  the  case  in  American  life;  but  not 
many  weeks  were  required  to  demonstrate  that,  whether  a  man's 
2 


18  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

name  was  McDonald  or  Boucher  or  Cohen  or  Kozaniecki  or 
Malvessi  or  Bradford,  he  was  a  Yank  all  thru  and  thru.  Only 
one  member  of  the  regiment  ever  changed  his  name,  only  one  ever 
desired  to  do  so;  that  was  when  " Trotsky*'  secured  approval  of 
the  Secretary  of  War  to  appear  on  future  rolls  as  ''Operacz."  His 
change  of  cognomen  was  due,  not  to  any  cause  existing  in  America 
or  the  American  Army,  but  to  the  malign  activities  of  a  certain 
Bolshevik  leader  who  had  brought  the  surname  into  disrepute. 
Every  soldier  of  the  55th  who  made  good  amidst  the  mud  and 
filth,  the  blood  and  fire  of  France,  had  a  right  to  stand  up  before 
the  founders  and  first  families  of  the  land  and  say  to  them,  '^What- 
ever you  may  be,  I  am  100%  American.*' 

The  prospect  of  overseas  service  induced  serious  thought  along 
at  least  one  line — it  led  many  members  of  the  55th  to  set  forward 
their  wedding-days.  Marriage  bells  rang  on  every  post  in  Boston 
Harbor  as  the  soldiers  made  sure  of  the  girls  they  were  about  to 
leave  behind  them. 

Serial  numbers  were  assigned  to  all  enlisted  men  on  Feb.  28; 
as  the  numerals  became  officially  attached  to  the  men's  names, 
so  likewise  did  the  aluminum  identification  tags  upon  which  the 
figures  were  stamped  become  an  inseparable  part  of  the  uniform. 

On  Mch.  4,  Lt.  Col.  Shedd,  who  was  acting  commander  of  the 
regiment  and  actual  Fort  Commander  at  Andrews,  held  a  review 
of  the  units  stationed  on  his  post;  the  Headquarters  Co.,  the  Band, 
the  Supply  Co.  and  Bat.  B  paraded  together  with  the  23d  Co., 
Boston,  and  made  a  handsome  showing  as  they  passed  in  review 
before  Col.  Quinby  of  the  Massachusetts  Coast  Artillery.  The 
event  gained  importance  when  it  developed  that  the  55th  would 
participate  in  no  other  reviews  whatever  before  going  overseas. 

On  Mch.  8  an  order  suddenly  went  out  from  the  Headquarters 
of  the  Coast  Defenses  that  the  whole  of  Boston  Harbor  was  under 
quarantine  on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  scarlet  fever;  and  no 
one  was  allowed,  not  even  the  officers,  to  go  on  pass.  At  just  which 
fort  this  epidemic  existed  no  one  seemed  to  know,  and  the  wise 
ones  openly  asserted  that  it  was  all  a  bit  of  camouflage.  An  order 
also  appeared  stating  that  in  the  near  future  the  regiment  would 
march  thru  Boston  in  full  service  equipment,  not  as  a  farewell 
parade,  but  merely  to  exhibit  the  troops  to  the  city;  and  the  men 
began  to  picture  themselves  participating  in  a  big  St.  Patrick's 
Day  celebration  in  honor  of  the  "good  Saint  who  drove  the  red 


Beginnings  19 

coats  out  of  Boston."  This  too  proved  to  be  camouflage.  All 
regimental  and  personal  baggage  received  the  distinctive  identi- 
fication marking  of  the  organization,  an  elaborate  polychrome 
scheme  consisting  of  two  black  stripes,  with  red,  white,  blue  and 
yellow  trimmings.  On  Mch.  13  the  heaviest  or  "freight"  bag- 
gage quietly  started  from  the  forts;  and  on  Friday,  Mch.  15,  early 
in  the  afternoon,  the  order  to  move  finally  arrived. 

The  long-expected  word  came  in  two  parts,  "Special  Order  No. 
1"  and  "S.  O.  No.  2,"  and  from  that  fact  arose  some  awkwardness 
in  one  battery;  No.  2  was  received,  but  No.  1  failed  to  put  in  an 
appearance.  Ordinarily  a  captain  would  engage  in  a  little  telephone 
ing  and  easily  secure  the  missing  information;  but  secrecy  was  the 
rule  in  connection  with  important  military  movements.  Owing  to 
the  presence  of  civilian  visitors,  everyone  was  forbidden  so  much 
as  to  mention  the  projected  plans,  while  a  well-grounded  fear  of 
enemy  espionage  rendered  it  impossible  to  use  the  telephone.  No 
one  at  the  fort  possessed  a  copy  of  the  order.  Presently  regimental 
Headquarters  commenced  to  send  "corrections"  to  order  No.  1, 
and  the  Colonel  impatiently  demanded  an  acknowledgment,  stating 
that  these  were  understood ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  an  officer,  newly 
attached,  reported  to  the  battery  commander  for  instructions  under 
the  same  order;  something  had  to  be  done — at  once.  First,  a  field 
officer,  quartered  at  a  fort  on  another  island,  was  aroused  late  in  the 
evening,  and  was  persuaded  to  tell,  over  the  wire,  "The  essential 
thing  is  to  be  ready  at  8.30";  and  with  this  much  information,  the 
work  of  final  preparation  was  kept  up  all  night.  At  reveille,  the 
next  morning,  the  Captain  took  advantage  of  a  direct  telephone 
line  running  out  of  his  fort  to  another  battery's  office,  a  line  on  which 
listening  in  was  impossible,  and,  by  connecting  with  an  officer  there, 
finally  secured  the  missing  information.  After  all,  the  regimental 
departure  was  actually  delayed  until  afternoon. 

As  the  55th  were  to  be  part  of  the  "Army  Artillery,"  a  word  of 
explanation  about  that  force  is  in  order.  Two  regiments,  constitut- 
ing the  39th  Brigade,  had  preceded  us  overseas  by  seven  months. 
Our  own  spring  troop  movement  comprized  eight  more  regimental 
units;  and  while  one  of  them  was  broken  up  "for  replacements," 
the  total  number  increased  to  nine.  At  the  same  time,  two  splendid 
field  artillery  regiments,  originally  of  the  41st  Division,  and  making 
up  the  66th  Brigade,  were  motorized  and  incorporated  with  the 
Army  Artillery,  over  in  France.    These  eleven  regiments,  organized 


20  The  Fifiy-fifth  Artillery 

into  four  brigades  (the  31st,  32d,  39th,  and  66th),  constituted  the 
"Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,"  and  were  all  who  actually  participated 
in  engagements.  With  them  were  associated  three  ammunition 
trains.  So  valuable  did  the  force  prove  to  be,  that  the  War  Depart- 
ment continued  forming  new  units  thruout  the  entire  period  of  the 
war;  until  the  total  numbers  came  to  be:  twelve  brigades;  sixty-one 
regiments;  twelve  ammunition  trains — all  but  four  regiments  came 
from  the  Coast  Artillery  Corps.  (These  totals  include  one  brigade, 
seven  regiments,  of  the  ''Railway  Artillery  Reserve";  four  of  the 
regiments  saw  combat  service.)  The  55th  was  to  form  a  highly 
efficient  factor  in  the  force,  which  should  play  so  essential  a  part  in 
bringing  the  war  to  its  early  end. 

Thruout  the  overseas  journey,  Col.  Sevier  was  in  command; 
Benjamin  B.  Shedd  was  Lieutenant  Colonel;  Capt.  MacMullen  was 
regimental  Adjutant.  The  battalion  commanders  were:  1st,  Maj. 
Dusenbury;  2d,  Maj.  Skinner;  3d,  Maj.  Holbrook.  Capt.  Mitchell 
commanded  Headquarters  Co.  The  batteries  were  commanded  by: 
A,  Capt.  Mead;  B,  Capt.  Robinson;  C,  Capt.  C.  R.  Wilson;  D,Capt. 
Stitt;  E,  Capt.  W.  B.  Smith;  F,  Capt.  Kircher;  and  Supply  Co., 
Capt.  R.  W.  Wilson. 

During  the  afternoon  of  Saturday,  Mch.  16,  the  Quartermaster 
steamers  conveyed  the  batteries  from  the  forts  to  Commonwealth 
Pier,  the  2d  Batl.  proceeding  from  Winthrop  by  truck.  On  the  pier 
the  men  were  fed  with  rations  which  they  had  brought  along,  and 
received  steaming  hot  coffee  from  the  Naval  station  upstairs,  thru 
the  instrumentality  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  After  waiting  until  early 
dusk,  we  all  packed  ourselves  aboard  three  long  trains,  commanded 
respectively  by  Maj.  Dusenbury,  Lt.  Col.  Shedd,  and  Col.  Sevier; 
and  the  curtains  down,  with  no  farewell  communications  whatever 
between  ourselves  and  the  throng  of  loved  ones  outside  the  pier,  we 
were  spirited  off.  One  over-affectionate  non-commissioned  officer 
who  dropped  a  parting  note  from  the  train,  was  promptly  reduced  to 
the  ranks.  Many  Bostonians  did  not  learn  of  our  departure  until 
they  received  letters  from  us  in  France.  Going  via  B.  &  A.,  we 
traveled  all  night,  and  early  Sunday  morning  found  ourselves, 
chilled  from  the  cold  cars  and  weary  from  lack  of  sleep,  in  the  Albany 
freight-yards. 

After  delaying  a  while  for  breakfast  at  Albany,  and  for  luncheon 
at  Ravenna,  the  trains  started  down  the  Hudson  via  the  West  Shore 
R.  R.;  and  this  portion  of  the  journey  was  rendered  pleasanter  for 


Beginnings  21 

the  travelers  (in  one  train)  because  they  were  now  permitted  to 
raise  the  shades  and  enjoy  the  scenery.  As  part  of  their  military 
training,  the  entire  regiment  "went  thru"  West  Point — literally 
thru  it,  by  tunnel.  Upon  arrival  at  Dumont  the  three  trains  were 
thoroly  policed;  and  the  command  detrained  about  3  p.  m.  Then 
followed  a  three-quarter  mile  march  to  Camp  Merritt  thru  streets 
lined  with  friendly  spectators  and  amid  hearty  applause.  As  prac- 
tically everyone  had  been  in  service  at  least  eight  months,  the  men 
naturally  marched  well  and  presented  a  fine  appearance ;  one  of  the 
military  spectators,  a  major  wearing  a  West  Point  signet-ring,  in- 
quired, "Where  are  these  troops  from?  They  must  be  garrison 
troops." 

Upon  learning  the  facts,  he  continued,  "  They  certainly  show  it. 
There  is  all  the  difference  in  the  world  between  their  bearing  and 
that  of  most  of  the  troops  who  have  come  thru  here." 

At  Camp  Merritt  the  regiment  experienced  their  first  spring 
weather,  balmy  and  delightful. 

Maj.  Holbrook  used  to  relate  that  one  day  he  saw  a  battalion 
marching  up  the  street  in  perfect  rhythm  and  absolutely  flawless 
order;  and  he  could  not  help  thinking  to  himself,  "  If  I  were  a  battery 
commander  I  would  give  anything  to  have  troops  like  those." 
Imagine  his  pleasure  and  satisfaction  a  few  seconds  later  when  he 
found  that  it  was  his  own  battalion,  with  Bat.  E  in  the  lead.  On 
another  occasion,  in  England,  Bat.  F  marched  240  strong  in  a 
column  of  twos  a  distance  of  three  miles;  and  when  finally  the  com- 
mand, "Halt,"  was  given,  so  perfect  was  the  formation  that  not  a 
man  had  to  close  up  or  drop  back. 

Owing  to  the  suddenness  with  which  the  quarantine  had  been 
instituted  and  the  secrecy  surrounding  our  departure  from  Boston, 
practically  no  one  had  been  able  to  say  goodbye;  and  so  the  Camp 
Merritt  telegraph  and  telephone  oflBices  did  a  rush  business.  When 
relatives  and  friends  began  to  reach  New  York,  a  strong  desire 
developed  amongst  the  men  to  visit  the  city.  Passes  were  issued 
only  one  day,  and  then  to  only  10%  of  the  men;  and  consequently 
there  was  irresistible  temptation  to  go  a.  w.  o.  1.  over-night.  The 
Camp  Merritt  guards  encouraged  the  practise  by  the  peculiar 
literalness  with  which  they  interpreted  orders;  one  day  a  soldier 
of  the  55th  had  to  go  a  short  distance  out  of  camp  on  an  official 
errand  and,  neglecting  to  procure  a  pass,  was  stopped.  He  remon- 
strated. "Why  do  you  stop  me,  but  let  all  those  men  over  there 
leave  camp?" 


22  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

And  he  pointed  to  men  who  were  sneaking  out  thru  the  bushes 
less  than  two  hundred  feet  from  the  post  of  the  sentinel. 

"My  orders  are  to  watch  the  road,  and  not  the  hushesJ^ 

A  man  of  the  55th,  a  sergeant  and  ordinarily  one  of  our  best 
soldiers,  started  for  New  York  within  fifteen  minutes  after  the 
arrival  of  the  regiment  at  Camp  Merritt;  indeed,  in  his  hurry  he 
neglected  to  note  the  exact  location  of  his  battery  barracks.  When 
he  returned  in  the  wee  sma'  hours,  slightly  ''lit  up,"  he  was  unable 
to  remember  just  where  he  did  belong.  After  trying  in  two  or 
three  different  quarters  to  procure  a  lantern,  he  finally  persuaded 
(by  what  line  of  argument  he  could  not  afterwards  recall)  the 
Hospital  people  to  give  him  one;  and  he  went  prowling  around 
camp  looking  for  his  barracks.  Presently  he  was  arrested  by  a  M. 
P. ;  but  on  the  way  to  the  guard-house  the  two  seem  to  have  stopped 
several  times,  while  the  M.  P.  was  induced  to  partake  of  refresh- 
ments from  a  bottle  in  the  sergeant's  pocket;  so  that  presently 
the  M.  P.  was  left  fast  asleep  under  a  tree  and  the  sergeant  con- 
tinued his  stroll,  now  wearing  a  blue  M.  P.  arm-band  and  carrying 
a  billy  in  addition  to  the  lantern.  All  this,  however,  did  not  find 
his  barracks.  Incidentally,  whenever  he  met  a  man  coming  into 
camp,  he  demanded  to  see  the  man's  pass;  if  the  man  did  not 
possess  one,  he  was  severely  reprimanded  and  told  to  go  right  to 
his  bunk  and  stay  there  until  reveille,  but  if  he  was  unlucky  enough 
to  have  a  pass,  he  had  to  go  out  of  camp  again  and  come  in  thru 
the  west  entrance  almost  a  mile  away.  Finally  the  sergeant 
determined  to  take  desperate  measures  to  find  his  battery,  and 
embarked  upon  nothing  less  than  a  systematic  inspection  of  the 
camp  guard;  every  sentinel  and  M.  P.  was  closely  questioned 
regarding  his  post  and  duties,  particularly  as  to  what  organizations 
were  quartered  along  his  post.  In  this  way  the  lost  one  found  his 
way  home.  When  reveille  sounded,  his  bunkies  discovered  him 
lying  on  his  bed,  still  wearing  the  blue  brassard,  the  billy  across 
the  foot  of  the  bed  and  the  burning  lantern  on  the  floor.  For 
some  reason  the  event  was  not  reported  by  them  to  the  Captain 
until  months  later.  It  was  another  sergeant  of  this  battery,  who, 
under  similar  circumstances,  was  found  trying  to  auction  off  the 
great  Vercingetorix  statue  in  Clermont  Ferrand  on  one  "glorious 
day"  during  the  regiment's  training  period. 

On  the  morning  of  Mch.  19  came  an  inspection  by  the  authori- 
ties of  the  port  of  embarkation.     That  afternoon  the  regiment 


Beginnings  23 

assembled  in  the  K.  of  C.  hall  to  hear  the  Chaplain  lecture  on 
"Success  in  soldiering" — an  event  important  in  one  particular  any- 
way, as  it  was  the  only  time  (except  on  ship-board)  when  the  entire 
command  ever  got  together  under  a  single  roof.  The  same  evening 
witnessed  the  d^but  of  the  55th's  entertainers,  afterwards  so 
deservedly  famous — Harrigan,  Marr,  the  1st  Batl.  quartet  and 
the  55th  Band;  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretaries,  in  whose  hut  the  show 
was  given,  emphatically  pronounced  it,  ''The  best  in  the  history 
of  the  camp." 

As  many  officers  as  possible  went  to  Sandy  Hook  on  Wednesday, 
Mch.  20,  to  see  the  6-inch  sea-coast  rifle  on  rigid  carriage  mount. 
The  September  previous  we  had  dismounted  a  number  of  such  guns 
in  Boston  Harbor  and  sent  them  away  for  overseas  service ;  and  this 
was  the  armament  now  assigned  to  the  regiment.  The  trip  was 
pleasant  enough;  but  the  rifle  and  carriage  were  a  distinct  dis- 
appointment on  account  of  their  weight  and  the  lack  of  sufficiently 
accurate  traversing  mechanism.  The  62d  Arty.,  C.  A.  C,  to  whom 
they  were  actually  issued,  found  them  unsatisfactory.  (When 
at  Mailly,  two  months  later,  our  officers  learned  that  the  French 
"Filloux  155  Long"  had  been  assigned  to  the  regiment,  it  was  the 
cause  of  a  great  celebration.)  On  their  way  back  to  Camp  Merritt, 
the  party  had  to  "wander  all  over  New  Jersey,"  but  they  managed 
to  return  by  midnight.  At  our  regimental  Headquarters  the  "  color 
line"  was  established  this  day,  and  daily  band-concerts  commenced. 

As  a  picture  depends  for  effectiveness  much  upon  its  background, 
we  must  not  forget  the  solemn  setting  of  these  opening  events  of  our 
history.  Mch.  21  introduced  the  first  "major  operation"  in  which 
American  soldiers  had  part,  the  Somme  Defensive;  and  even  the 
censored  newspaper  reports  were  sufficiently  ominous  to  keep  us 
worrying.  Then  it  was  that  Capt.  Edwin  G.  Hopkins  won  promo- 
tion, and  a  croix  de  guerre — Capt.  Hopkins  who  would  have  been 
in  the  55th  if  he  had  not  happened  to  go  over  six  months  previously 
with  the  101st  Ammunition  Train.  His  citation  was  in  more  elegant 
language;  but  the  men  translated  it,  "For  good  all-around  playing 
in  the  backfield  at  the  inception  of  the  push." 

Holy  Communion  was  specially  administered  by  the  Chaplain 
on  Mch.  22  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut,  with  an  interested  response 
by  the  men.  Later  in  the  afternoon  the  regiment  had  its  first  and 
only  formal  instruction  in  community  singing  by  a  regularly 
appointed  teacher;  friends  should  know,  however,  that  the  lack  of 


24  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

class-work  did  not  prevent  the  55th  from  becoming  noted  as  fine 
singers. 

Saturday,  Mch.  23,  was  a  busy  day  with  preparations  for  get- 
ting away  next  morning,  a  letter  having  come  from  Col.  Irons, 
Commanding  Officer  of  Camp  Merritt,  under  date  of  Mch.  20, 
directing  us  to  avail  ourselves  of  transportation  to  be  provided 
on  Mch.  24,  at  6  a.  m.  Batteries  A  and  B  both  found  numbers  of 
their  men  quarantined  because  of  measles,  the  latter  being  es- 
pecially hard  hit  thru  the  loss  of  their  office  force.  But  Capt. 
Robinson  had  providently  organized  a  set  of  ''understudies"  who 
slept  in  another  barracks,  and  he  now  called  them  in  and  kept  on 
doing  business  as  usual.  Capt.  Kircher  worked  until  1  a.  m., 
Sunday,  straightening  out  records.  As  he  was  at  last  undressing 
for  bed,  the  camp  guard  appeared  and  told  him  that  he  would  have 
to  take  back  two  prisoners  who  had  been  tried  by  special  court 
martial  and  committed  to  the  camp  guard-house  for  six  months 
of  hard  labor.  He  had  been  notified  earlier  in  the  evening  that 
they  would  be  left  behind,  and  had  transferred  them  out  of  Bat. 
F;  now  he  began  by  calling  on  the  officer  of  the  day  and  ascertain- 
ing that  the  prisoners  really  must  go  along  with  the  battery;  then 
he  retransferred  them  and  collected  their  baggage.  By  this  time 
it  was  so  late  that  he  resolved  not  to  retire  at  all;  nor  was  he  the 
only  one  keeping  vigil  in  the  officers'  quarters.  Cpl.  Clarence 
W.  Coulp  of  Bat.  F  left  a  sick  wife  behind — actually  bade  her 
farewell  as  she  was  about  to  go  upon  the  operating  table;  and  he 
did  not  hear  tidings  of  the  operation  until  his  arrival  in  France. 
Then,  alas!  the  news  was  bad — she  did  not  survive  the  ordeal. 

Here  is  a  good  point  for  the  writer  to  make  his  acknowledgments 
to  Capt.  Kircher;  when  the  Chaplain  was  designated  to  write  this 
history,  the  Captain  volunteered  his  assistance  to  the  very  utmost, 
and  right  nobly  did  he  keep  the  promise.  Keen  on  the  scent  for 
"human  interest,"  he  had  accumulated  many  valuable  notes  bear- 
ing on  the  personal  side  of  regimental  happenings;  and  in  addition, 
he  drew  without  reserve  upon  his  friends  for  material,  both  stories 
and  pictures.  The  reader  is  especially  requested  to  infer  that, 
whenever  an  event  is  herein  described  which  would  not  be  proper 
for  a  Chaplain  to  know,  the  information  came  from  the  Captain. 
Finally  Capt.  Kircher  sacrificed  a  considerable  portion  of  his  first 
vacation  after  discharge  from  the  Army,  in  order  to  read  the 
manuscript  and  ''check  up"  the  answers  to  mooted  questions. 


Beginnings  25 

Awakening  at  3.30  a.  m.  on  Palm  Sunday,  Mch.  24,  the  regiment 
inaugurated  their  distinctive  custom  of  moving  on  the  Lord's 
day;  this  time  it  was  the  "  big  move."  Between  5  and  5.30  a.  m.  they 
marched  to  the  N.  J.  Northern  depot  at  Cresskill  and  entrained 
for  the  "last  lap"  on  this  side  of  the  water.  One  officer  did  not 
happen  to  be  awakened  with  the  others  and  came  near  being  left 
behind;  he  just  managed  to  catch  the  train,  and  spent  the  time 
between  Cresskill  and  Jersey  City  shaving,  with  resultant  cuts 
and  profuse  bloodshed.  Our  train  moved  in  two  sections,  the  first 
commanded  by  Col.  Sevier  and  the  second  by  Lt.  Col.  Shedd. 
Battery  commanders  spent  the  time  giving  their  embarkation 
lists  a  final  checking.  Reaching  the  Erie  terminal  after  half  an 
hour's  ride,  the  organizations  formed  alongside  the  trains  and 
marched  thru  the  station  to  a  waiting  ferry-boat;  the  second  sec- 
tion moved  more  smoothly  than  the  Colonel's  own,  perhaps 
profiting  by  the  mistakes  of  their  predecessors.  The  boat  started 
up  the  North  River  and  drew  toward  the  Cunard  pier  (No.  54) 
where  the  ''Mauretania"  and  "Aquitania"  were  docked,  the 
fact  at  once  revealing  that  the  regiment  was  to  reach  France  by 
way  of  England.  After  half  an  hour  of  maneuvering  against  the 
tide  at  a  pier  not  built  for  ferry-boats,  we  finally  landed;  and  the 
men  filed  off  into  the  enclosed  dock,  were  lined  up,  checked  off 
and  marched  aboard  H.  M.  S.  **  Mauretania."  The  loading  of 
the  entire  regiment  within  a  single  hour  was  pronounced  by  the 
embarkation  officials  a  remarkable  achievement,  being  accom- 
plished in  less  than  half  the  time  required  by  any  other  regiment 
up  to  then.  The  regimental  history  was  ready  to  emerge  from  its 
"beginning"  chapter. 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  "Mauretania" 

TWENTY-FOUR  hours  of  waiting  ensued  after  the  regi- 
ment went  aboard.  By  way  of  exception  to  the  general 
rule  this  delay  was  not  tedious,  for  it  gave  everyone  an 
opportunity  of  looking  over  the  ship  and  estimating  the  conditions 
under  which  they  were  going  to  race  with  the  submarines.  Our  vessel 
was  greatly  changed  from  the  peace-time  monarch  of  the  Cunard 
line,  the  acme  of  grandeur  and  luxury  on  the  ocean.  A  weird, 
striped  camouflage  was  painted  on  the  sides  where  all  used  to  be 
glossy  black;  and  interior  alterations  were  no  less  striking.  Ma- 
hogany furnishings  had  been  removed,  so  that  twenty  soldiers 


H.  M.  S.  "  Mauretania" 

could  be  comfortable  in  a  cabin  where  one  fussy  globe-trotter 
formerly  lived  in  state;  but  it  did  seem  peculiar  to  see  upper 
berths,  made  of  rough  pine  boards,  nailed  to  the  exquisite  fancy 
woodwork  of  the  first-class  cabins,  where  there  had  been  only 
lower  berths  originally.  The  sick-bays  were  larger  and  also  more 
workmanlike;  the  palatial  dining-saloons  were  now  plain  mess- 
rooms.     Everyone  among  the  ofl&cers  had  at  least  one  friend  in 


The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  '' Mauretania"  27 

the  regal  suite,  so  that  excuse  existed  for  him  to  make  himself  at 
home  where  only  the  richest  or  those  of  highest  station  had  for- 
merly traveled.  In  fact  the  giant  engines  down  below  were  all 
that  reminded  one  of  the  old  ''Mauretania." 

With  us  as  fellow-passengers  were  the  65th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C, 
who  had  journeyed  from  the  Pacific  Coast  via  the  Panama  Canal, 
and  also  two  medical  groups,  Base  Hospital  Unit  116,  and  Medical 
Department  Unit  L — a  total  of  about  four  thousand.  The  55th 
promptly  pronounced  their  companions  to  be  "good  scouts,  all,'' 
and  it  is  probable  that  our  younger  officers  were  influenced  in  this 
judgment  partly  by  the  fact  that,  amongst  the  medical  people, 
were  over  one  hundred  nurses,  whose  presence  greatly  augmented 
the  pleasure  of  the  trip. 

We  found  the  "Mauretania"  just  entering  the  fourth  distinct 
stage  of  her  war  experience.  First  she  had  served  as  a  troop-ship 
carrying  British  soldiers  to  Mudros,  the  island  base  which  supplied 
the  GaUipoli  front.  Next  she  became  a  hospital  ship,  transport- 
ing the  human  wreckage  of  Gallipoli  back  to  "Bhghty."  After 
lying  at  Liverpool  from  March  to  September  of  1916,  she  again 
became  a  troop-ship,  carrying  Canadian  soldiers  from  Halifax  to 
Liverpool.  After  two  months  of  this  service,  the  giant  Cunarder 
was  sent  on  a  mysterious  errand  up  the  Clyde  and  remained  in 
seclusion  for  more  than  a  year.  Finally,  on  the  first  of  January, 
1918,  she  had  emerged  from  retirement,  now  an  armed  cruiser 
with  six  big  guns  on  her  deck;  and  was  about  to  lend  Uncle  Sam 
a  hand  in  moving  the  American  Army  to  Europe.  Ours  was  the 
first  of  seven  voyages  which  she  was  to  make  under  American 
patronage. 

A  distinguished  sailor  commanded  the  "Mauretania,"  and  had 
been  in  command  of  her  since  her  hospital-ship  days,  Capt.  A.  H. 
Rostron,  R.  N.  R.  Everyone  remembered  the  "Titanic"  disaster 
of  Apr.  14,  1912,  when  the  liner  struck  an  iceberg  and  foundered, 
leaving  her  surviving  passengers,  such  of  them  as  had  not  drowned, 
drifting  in  life-boats.  And  we  recalled  the  single  gleam  of  bright- 
ness connected  with  the  disaster,  when  the  Cunard  S.  S.  "Car- 
pathia"  tore  at  top  speed  out  of  her  course  and  rescued  all  those 
who  were  ever  saved — alas,  only  a  few  hundreds.  Now  the  55th 
were  delighted  to  find  the  former  captain  of  the  "Carpathia" 
in  command  of  the  "Mauretania,"  and  everyone  felt  that  a  deserv- 
ing man  had  received  merited  promotion;  moreover,  it  augured 


28  The  Fifiy-fifth  Artillery 

well  for  our  own  chances  of  a  successful  trip  to  be  under  so  skilful 
a  seaman. 

Capt.  Rostron  was  able  best  to  describe  his  own  methods  of 
war-time  navigation.  ''We  always  make  the  trip  alone,  with  an 
escort  only  at  each  end  of  the  journey.  We  cannot  travel  in  a 
convoy.  The  others  cannot  keep  up  with  us.  Our  average  speed 
is  22  to  23  knots,  and  our  fastest  cHp  is  25%  knots.  Our  motto 
is  to  get  there  and  not  look  for  trouble."  So  successful  were  these 
methods  to  prove,  that  at  the  end  of  the  war  the  gallant  captain 
was  able  to  report  that  he  had  lost  only  one  soldier,  and  that 
the  latter  committed  suicide. 

Another  encouraging  sign  was  the  presence  aboard  of  two 
brigadier  generals;  the  War  Department  would  "not  risk  so  many 
eggs  in  one  basket "  unless  prospects  were  deemed  good.  And  these 
generals,  George  W.  Gatchell  and  William  C.  Davis,  were  destined 
to  be  our  two  brigade  commanders  during  the  months  of  battle 
which  lay  ahead  of  us ;  we  were  highly  favored  in  having  so  advanta- 
geous an  introduction  to  them. 

Baggage  was  loaded  aboard  amid  considerable  confusion,  as  the 
detail  originally  in  charge  was  relieved  upon  arrival  at  Pier  54 
and  a  new  set  of  men  put  at  work,  men  who  did  not  accurately 
know  which  baggage  was  which  nor  where  it  ought  to  go.  Despite 
all  precautions  in  concealing  our  destination,  certain  men  who  had 
been  a.  w.  o.  1.  succeeded  in  ascertaining,  from  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secre- 
taries at  Camp  Merritt  or  from  city  policemen,  where  we  had 
gone;  and  during  the  day  of  waiting  they  made  their  way  to  the 
Cunard  pier  and  tried  to  be  reinstated.  Lt.  Gower,  who  remained 
behind  with  the  sick  men,  also  sought  to  get  back  into  the  regi- 
ment. Permission  was  uniformly  refused  either  for  reasons  of 
health  or  of  discipline;  but  notwithstanding  the  refusal,  two  of  the 
a.  w.  o.  1.  culprits  succeeded  in  mingling  with  the  baggage  detail 
and  came  along  in  spite  of  all.  Meanwhile,  divers  were  dragging 
the  ship's  bottom  to  forestall  any  possible  danger  from  enemy 
mines.  Most  of  the  men  left  behind  at  Camp  Merritt  eventually 
rejoined  the  regiment  in  France,  while  others  became  members 
of  our  companion  regiments. 

So  vast  was  the  ship  and  so  many  were  the  points  where  watch 
had  to  be  kept  for  lights  or  fires  or  to  man  watertight  compart- 
ment doors  that  almost  one  hundred  sentinels  had  to  be  posted, 
and  consequently  a  guard  of  nearly  three  hundred  was  maintained; 


The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S,  '^ Mauretania^'  29 

an  entire  battalion  went  on  duty  at  a  time,  with  the  major  acting 
as  field  officer  of  the  day,  one  battery  commander  in  charge  of  the 
upper  two  decks  and  the  other  of  the  lower  three,  and  a  lieuten- 
ant assigned  to  each  deck.  Guard-mount  was  held  at  2.30  p.  m., 
and  owing  to  the  large  number  of  posts  and  the  unfamiliarity  of 
each  day's  new  guard,  it  took  almost  two  hours  to  post  the  first 
relief.  The  battalion  adjutants  asserted  that  they  "sweat  blood" 
in  straightening  out  their  guard  reports. 

At  5.47  p.  M.  on  Mch.  25  the  ship's  siren  shrieked  the  signal  to 
start;  all  men  in  uniform  were  ordered  to  conceal  themselves  in- 
doors so  as  to  camouflage  the  presence  of  troops  on  board;  and  the 
"Mauretania"  backed  her  huge  bulk  out  into  the  Hudson  River, 
slowly  pointed  her  prow  toward  the  open  sea  and  majestically 
made  her  way  past  the  statue  which  symbolized  the  object  of 
our  crusade,  thru  the  Narrows  and  on,  on,  into  the  deepening  night; 
the  "great  adventure"  had  begun  for  the  55th — and,  incidentally, 
they  were  drawing  "foreign  service  pay."  Never  was  the  Ho- 
boken  shore  crowned  with  a  more  glorious  sunset  and  never  did 
the  myriad  windows  of  New  York's  sky-scrapers  glow  more  bril- 
liantly with  reflected  beauty  than  on  Mch.  25,  1918;  but  as  far 
as  the  55th  were  concerned  the  display  all  went  to  waste,  for  not 
a  man  was  permitted  to  remain  where  he  could  enjoy  Nature's 
farewell.  About  that  time  someone  discovered  that  a  marvel  was 
being  enacted;  we  were  coast  artillery,  "immobile  troops";  the 
Germans  had  not  dared  to  attack  our  line  of  defense;  and  still 
we  were  going  to  fight  them — ^the  ''Mauretania"  was  actually 
"carrying  the  coast  over  to  France." 

The  guard  was  just  in  the  process  of  changing  reliefs  when  every- 
body was  ordered  inside,  and  it  was  quite  a  trick  to  accomplish 
the  task  under  such  limitations;  by  worming  their  way  thru  the 
ship's  interior,  up  companionways  and  down,  thru  galleys  and 
storerooms,  they  finally  did  it,  and  so  learned  to  appreciate  the 
vessel's  complexity.  One  of  the  orders  upon  which  most  stress 
was  laid  was  that  requiring  a  sentinel  to  take  instant  action  the 
moment  anyone  attempted  to  open  a  port-hole;  guards  were  cau- 
tioned to  stop  at  nothing  in  enforcing  this.  One  officer  loyally 
emphasized  this  order,  directing  the  sentries  to  shoot  an  offender 
or  knock  him  down  and  in  no  case  to  hesitate.  One  guard  had  a 
revolver  with  no  ammunition,  and  being  small  and  not  certain 
of  his  ability  to  knock  a  man  down,  asked  the  captain  how  to 


30  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

proceed:  "Why,  do  anything  you  can;  if  necessary,  pick  up  a  rock 
and  throw  it  at  him."  So  great  was  the  soldier's  respect  for  official 
authority  that  he  never  dared  raise  the  question  as  to  where  he 
would  find  "a  rock"  on  the  "Mauretania." 

Gun  crews  were  formed  from  the  coast  artillerymen  to  help  man 
the  " Mauretania's "  armament,  and  remained  on  duty  in  shifts; 
four  officers  of  the  55th  were  assigned  to  command  the  ship's  guns, 
and  stood  three-hour  watches  on  the  bridge  for  several  days — until 
they  discovered  that  the  British  gunnery  officer  was  putting  all  his 
work  onto  them,  and  insisted  that  he  attend  to  his  own  duties.  The 
Army's  old  friend,  paper  work,  stayed  right  with  the  regiment,  as 
the  British  government  required  "steen-fold"  copies  of  the  roster 
from  each  organization  entering  England;  and  typewriters  were 
scarce,  at  least  amongst  the  deck  and  cabin  baggage. 

England  then  suffered  from  food  shortage,  as  we  were  soon  to 
learn  by  dire  experience;  even  on  ship-board  the  British  stewards 
resented  our  large  appetites,  and  the  men  felt  sometimes  as  tho  they 
were  on  short  commons. 

"It  really  is  too  bad,"  said  a  mess  steward,  "they  will  never  be 
able  to  keep  these  soldiers  in  France.  They  will  have  to  send  them 
right  back  again.  Too  bad!  too  bad!  Why,  they  eat  too  domned 
much;  they  hav'n't  got  the  food  for  them." 

The  way  the  guard  used  to  drop  in  on  the  ship's  pantry  for  lunch 
at  all  hours  of  the  night  was  disturbing  to  the  stewards  in  charge; 
so  the  latter  set  a  big  basket  of  rolls  and  sandwiches  by  the  door 
and  allowed  the  Americans  to  help  themselves.  Rolls  were  served 
at  breakfast,  and  jam  at  noon  when  there  were  no  rolls;  but  the  men 
filled  up  their  pockets  with  rolls  in  the  morning  and  were  "all  set" 
for  the  jam  later.  Numbers  were  so  great  that  two  and  three  sit- 
tings were  necessary  at  meals,  and  vigilance  was  required  to  prevent 
men  from  coming  in  at  successive  tables  and  getting  more  than 
their  share.  While  the  officers'  table  service  was  not  luxurious,  it 
did  possess  elements  unusual  amongst  troops  embarking  on  active 
service,  such  as  printed  menu  cards,  and  afternoon  tea  in  the 
smoking  room.  At  the  end  of  the  voyage  we  willingly  certified  that 
we  had  been  "Sufficiently  messed." 

Pleasant  and  moderate  weather  with  smooth  seas  favored  the 
regiment  during  the  entire  voyage,  to  a  degree  wonderful  in  view  of 
the  season,  partly  due,  perhaps,  to  our  being  far  south  of  the  cus- 
tomary course.    Overcoats  were  unnecessary;  and  if  the  ocean  grew 


The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  *^ Mauretania'^  31 

rougher,  the  transition  was  so  gradual  as  to  exempt  most  of  the 
passengers  from  sea-sickness;  some  yielded  to  mal  de  mer,  as  was 
inevitable,  but  the  numbers  were  relatively  small.  "Abandon  ship 
drill"  took  place  twice  a  day,  when,  at  the  bugle  call,  all  moved 
promptly  to  assigned  positions  and  stood  in  readiness  to  jump  into 
life-boats.  Confusion  marked  the  first  drill  or  two,  but  the  discipline 
of  the  two  regiments  soon  asserted  its  sway,  and  the  nearly  four 
thousand  Americans  acquired  the  ability  to  move  from  all  parts  of 
the  vessel,  absolutely  emptying  all  the  cabins,  and  to  form  line,  six 
deep,  around  the  outer  edge  of  the  lower  decks — and  to  do  it  all 
within  five  minutes — a  remarkable  achievement  in  view  of  the  vast 
distances  some  had  to  travel.  If  it  had  not  been  for  a  narrow  pass- 
age amidship  which  caused  congestion,  the  formation  would  have 
been  even  quicker.  Sea-sick  men  hated  to  attend  this  drill;  but  the 
officers  were  hard-hearted  and  compelled  them  to  come  out.  The 
results  were  not  only  increased  safety  for  them  in  the  event  of  dis- 
aster to  the  vessel,  but  actual  recovery  from  their  stomach  trouble 
thru  being  in  the  open  air.  There  were  not  enough  life-boats  to  pro- 
vide one  for  each  group  of  forty  men,  and  some  groups  would  have 
to  depend  upon  life  rafts  which  were  carried  on  the  hurricane  deck; 
officers  in  charge  of  groups  sometimes  wondered  who  should  go  first 
if  it  really  became  necessary  to  abandon  ship.  The  majors  in  com- 
mand of  the  decks  refused  to  determine  questions  of  precedence,  and 
so  the  captains  and  lieutenants  tried  to  thresh  it  out  for  themselves. 
All  officers  attended  these  drills  armed  in  case  of  possible  panic,  and 
even  the  Chaplain  came  with  a  loaded  automatic  hanging  from  his 
belt;  he  did  so  by  specific  direction  of  the  regimental  Adjutant,  and 
it  was  the  only  time  during  the  war  when  he  went  armed.  Life 
preservers  were  worn  at  all  times  and  at  first  felt  decidedly  uncom- 
fortable ;  after  a  while  we  donned  them  as  nonchalantly  as  one  puts 
on  his  collar.  Indeed  they  were  far  less  of  a  burden  than  the  gas- 
masks which  later  hung  under  our  chins.  Capt.  Rostron  praised  our 
discipline  and  called  us  the  "best  troops  he  had  transported." 

Not  much  time  was  left  for  idleness  in  the  day's  schedule.  At 
about  7  A.  M.  the  English  steward  would  call  the  sleepers  with  a 
cheery  "Rise  and  shine";  his  visit  was  especially  welcome  because 
his  was  the  sole  right  to  open  port-holes,  and  the  sleepers  were  almost 
suffocated  by  morning.  Breakfast  was  finished  a  little  before  9, 
and  then  followed  the  inspection  of  the  men's  quarters.  The  55th 
were  quartered  in  the  after  part  of  the  ship  while  the  65th  had  the 


32  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

forward  end;  Bat.  D  occupied  the  upper  two  decks  of  the  second- 
cabin  section,  Bat.  F  the  next  two  (the  best — as  they  were  state- 
rooms), while  Bat.  E  slept  in  a  foul  dungeon  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ship.  The  remainder  of  the  regiment  was  amidship  just  forward  of 
the  second-cabin  accommodations.  Rifles  were  inspected  after 
quarters  had  been  looked  over,  to  make  sure  the  sea  air  was  not 
rusting  them;  a  shortage  of  gun  grease  existed  at  the  outset,  but  a 
little  persuasion,  supplemented  with  cigarets,  procured  plenty  from 
the  ship's  engine  rooms.  Next  came  the  morning  ''Abandon  ship 
drill, '*  followed  by  a  band-concert  and  an  hour  of  free  time.  The 
officers  and  nurses  would  dance  on  deck  (it  was  some  stunt  to  dance 
up  hill  when  the  boat  rolled)  while  the  men  crowded  up  to  the  rope 
separating  them  from  the  Band,  and  watched  and  listened;  it  was 
too  bad  that  there  were  so  few  nurses  and  so  little  deck-space,  and 
that  the  men  had  to  content  themselves  with  the  part  of  spectators 
— for  they  were  hungry  spectators.  This  dancing  continued  twice 
daily,  until  we  reached  the  submarine  zone  and  the  Colonel  stopped 
it. 

After  the  noon  meal,  school  was  held  for  the  officers,  when  they 
had  to  spend  one  and  one-half  hours  in  the  saloon  studying  the 
''Battery  Commander's  Handbook  for  Heavy  Artillery."  The  only 
section  of  the  book  which  made  any  impression  on  the  students  was 
the  first  five  pages,  descriptive  of  fuses  and  shells  and  the  detona- 
tion of  the  same  upon  impact;  class  sessions  were  always  cut  short 
by  afternoon  "Abandon  ship  drill,"  and  perhaps  it  was  just  as  well, 
for  later,  at  Mailly,  the  officers  were  taught  entirely  different  meth- 
ods. After  drill  came  inspection,  then  a  leisure  hour,  followed  by 
supper;  another  hour  of  school  in  the  evening  and  final  inspection 
at  9  p.  M.  brought  the  day  to  a  close. 

When  we  entered  the  submarine  zone,  the  section  of  ocean  over 
which  hung  the  kaiser's  threat,  our  voyage  proceeded  under  in- 
creased tension;  the  ship's  course  became  a  series  of  irregular  and 
sharp  zig-zags  at  high  speed,  so  that  one  would  be  thrown  off  one's 
feet  when  the  vessel  changed  direction.  The  prohibition  of  lights 
became  more  stringent  than  ever,  and  the  ship's  officers  dreaded  to 
see  the  moon  rise.  It  was  now  a  race  for  life  against  the  lurking 
U-boat.  At  the  critical  moment  a  mutiny  occurred  among  the 
ship's  stokers;  but  by  engaging  thirty  artillerymen  at  $1.75  per 
day,  the  captain  managed  to  keep  his  fires  burning  and  to  maintain 
his  speed. 


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The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  '' Mauretania^^  33 

About  this  time  an  English  steward  pronounced  an  opinion  of 
American  soldiers,  specifically  of  the  55th  Artillery,  which  at  once 
became  a  regimental  classic.  The  Canadian  troops  whom  they  had 
been  transporting,  according  to  all  reports,  took  the  submarine  peril 
very  seriously  and  sat  around  the  deck  reading  testaments  and 
prayer-books  and  looking  glum  while  they  watched  for  signs  of 
approaching  destruction. 

"But  you  Americans,"  the  steward  continued,  ''are  either  sing- 
ing or  playing  craps  all  the  time,  or  else  shouting  and  asking,  'When 
do  we  eat?'  " 

Three  important  religious  anniversaries  came  upon  us  while  the 
regiment  were  in  the  danger  zone — the  Jewish  Passover  of  which 
the  commencement  was  celebrated,  perhaps  a  little  late,  on  Wednes- 
day, Mch.  27;  Good  Friday,  Mch.  29;  and  Easter  Sunday,  Mch.  31. 
Circumstances  made  the  men  a  trifle  more  serious  than  usual  and 
indicated  as  desirable  some  special  observance  of  the  season.  The 
forty-one  Jewish  soldiers  in  the  regiment,  all  of  them  firm  friends 
of  the  Chaplain,  were  the  first  to  ask  his  assistance  in  their  religious 
plans.  A  Jewish  Surgeon  was  discovered  in  the  65th  who  had  some 
rabbinical  training;  and  he  joined  with  the  Christian  Chaplain  and 
conducted  such  exercises  as  were  possible  in  recognition  of  the 
ancient  festival  season.  Already  the  war  was  proving  potent  to 
bridge  chasms  due  to  ancient  prejudice.  Good  Friday  was  so  filled 
up  with  drills  and  inspections  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  hold  the 
proper  services ;  but  finally  permission  was  granted  to  worship  down 
in  the  men's  mess-hall  that  evening.  Chaplain  Albert  W.  Mathews 
of  the  65th  cooperated  heartily  in  making  the  service  one  worthy 
of  the  day — one  thousand  officers,  men  and  nurses  crowded  into  the 
room;  the  swaying  and  lurching  of  the  vessel  continually  reminded 
the  congregation  of  the  special  perils  surrounding  them;  the  Band's 
music,  Lt.  Shaffer's  solo,  the  short  sermons  by  both  Chaplains  and 
the  Holy  Communion  which  followed  all  conspired  to  render  the 
occasion  both  solemn  and  spiritual.  One  officer  admitted  that  he 
had  been  saying  his  "Now  I  lay  me"  with  unusual  fervor,  par- 
ticularly the  "If  I  should  die  before  I  wake"  part;  and  perhaps  the 
same  was  true  of  most.  At  any  event,  when  the  Communion  ele- 
ments were  offered  to  the  congregation,  the  response  proved  how 
seriously  they  had  been  thinking;  for  three  hundred  fifty  pressed 
forward  and  partook  of  the  emblems  of  our  Lord's  body  and  blood. 
Twice  was  the  supply  exhausted,  so  that  the  Chaplain  had  to  con- 
secrate more  of  the  elements. 
3 


34  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Easter  is  so  universally  accepted  as  a  day  for  religious  observance 
that  the  Chaplain  did  not  formulate  any  plans  of  his  own;  he  merely 
waited  for  the  Commanding  Officer,  either  Col.  Sevier  or  Gen.  Gat- 
chell,  to  express  his  wishes.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  military  duties 
were  to  eclipse  religious  services  on  Easter  day  itself;  for  morning 
inspection  was  held,  and  special  drill  came  after  that — a  bugler 
sounded  the  "Abandon  ship"  call  by  mistake  and  the  false  alarm 
was  repeated  all  over  the  "Mauretania,"  until  many  thought  a 
genuine  disaster  had  occurred.  The  seriousness  of  the  situation  was 
emphasized  by  a  new  order  on  Easter  morning — no  one  was  per- 
mitted to  undress  either  day  or  night  during  the  remaining  period 
of  the  voyage,  and  officers  were  to  be  armed  at  all  times.  Finally, 
however,  early  in  the  afternoon  Gen.  Gatchell  directed  Chaplain 
Cutler  to  arrange  for  evening  services,  and  the  two  Chaplains 
promptly  conferred  and  made  plans.  All  hands  conceded  that  the 
worship  which  followed  was  the  most  impressive  ever  known  by 
them.  At  7  p.  m.  in  the  men's  mess-hall  a  congregation  of  seven 
hundred  enlisted  men  were  led  in  prayer  by  Chaplain  Mathews  and 
heard  Chaplain  Cutler  preach  and  joined  in  singing  under  leadership 
of  the  55th  Band;  at  8.30  p.  m.  in  the  first-class  lounge  the  two 
Chaplains  reversed  their  parts  and  led  three  hundred  officers  and 
nurses  in  worship. 

At  about  the  middle  of  Chaplain  Mathews'  sermon  a  messenger 
suddenly  rushed  in  from  the  bridge  and  announced  that  all  lights 
must  be  immediately  extinguished.  While  the  congregation  were 
inquiring  about  the  nature  of  this  sudden  alarm,  the  Chaplains  con- 
ferred as  to  the  next  step;  the  preacher  was  willing  to  complete  his 
discourse  in  the  dark  and  did  actually  regain  and  hold  the  attention 
of  all  until  the  end.  Meanwhile  Chaplain  Cutler  had  ascertained 
that  the  Band  could  play  the  "Star-Spangled  Banner"  without  lights 
(it  requires  "some  band"  to  do  it)  and  the  exercises  were  thus  termi- 
nated. No  member  of  the  regiment  was  on  the  bridge  at  the  time  . 
of  the  alarm,  and  the  ship's  officers  manifested  little  inclination  to 
talk;  but  to  our  field  officers,  and  to  a  lieutenant  of  the  guard,  re- 
marks were  dropped  about  a  submarine  "shying  torpedoes"  at  us, 
and  the  wakes  of  three  being  visible  just  before  our  church  was 
plunged  in  darkness.  Later  Capt.  Rostron  told  a  reporter,  "Only 
once  did  we  sight  a  submarine,  and  that  was  almost  in  mid-ocean; 
the  sub  was  about  two  miles  off."  If  his  remark  applies  to  the  ex- 
perience of  Easter  night,  then  the  55th  were  involved  in  the  "  Maure- 


The  Voyage  on  H,  M.  S.  '^ Mauretania^^  35 

tania's"  sole  adventure  with  a  U-boat  during  all  her  voyages  across 
the  Atlantic.  While  the  giant  vessel  raced  onward  for  her  life, 
belching  out  clouds  of  black  smoke,  and  rolling  as  she  made  sudden 
turns  in  her  zig-zag  course,  our  guards  below  deck  were  having 
special  reason  to  remember  Easter;  for  the  atmosphere  was  hot 
enough  to  start  perspiration,  and  the  nervous  tension  due  to  threat- 
ened danger  was  severe.  When  reminded  to  remain  at  their  posts 
and  do  their  duty,  even  in  the  depths  of  the  hold,  each  eagerly 
whispered,  "Yes,  I  will;  depend  on  me.'' 

Letters  from  home  subsequently  informed  us  that  in  at  least  one 
Boston  church  on  Easter  Sunday  morning  a  crowded  congregation 
had  joined  in  the  grand  prayer-hymn,  '* Eternal  Father!  strong  to 
save,"  at  the  request  of  members  of  the  55th  made  before  our  sailing. 
As  the  lines,  "Our  brethren  shield  in  danger's  hour;  From  rock  and 
tempest,  fire  and  foe,  Protect  them  wheresoe'er  they  go,"  were  sung, 
there  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  all  the  great  throng  of  worshipers — so 
earnest  was  the  prayer.  Who  will  rashly  assert  that  no  connection 
existed  between  the  Boston  prayer  and  the  safety  of  those  who  were 
prayed  for? 

A  word  about  church  arrangements  is  in  order  here.  Chaplain 
Cutler  had  inherited  from  his  Civil  War  predecessor  a  church  or- 
ganization in  the  Old  First  Massachusetts  Regiment,  and  he  felt 
it  wise  to  maintain  this  in  the  55th  as  the  simplest  solution  of  his 
problems.  The  church  was  based  on  a  splendid  covenant  which  had 
come  down  unchanged  since  1861.  Every  member  of  the  55th  was 
constructively  a  member  of  the  regimental  church  and  entitled  to 
all  the  privileges  thereof,  and  in  order  to  participate  actually,  he 
merely  had  to  acknowledge  the  covenant  during  the  service.  A 
program  of  worship  was  prepared,  which  included  the  regimental 
covenant. 

Military  Church  Service 

Prelude The  Band 

"7  will  go  unto  the  altar  of  God,^* 

A  General  Confession. 

All:  O  our  God,  we  are  heartily  sorry  for  all  our  sins,  because 
they  offended  thy  loving  goodness.  We  are  firmly  resolved, 
with  the  help  of  thy  grace,  to  amend  our  lives,  to  do  all  we 


36  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

can  to  atone  for  the  past,  and  to  avoid  every  occasion  of 
sin.     Amen. 
The  Declaration  of  Forgiveness. 

God's  Law  and  Mercy. 

God  spake  these  words: 

Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  besides  me. 

Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  a  graven  image,  nor  bow  down 

thyself  unto  it. 
Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  Jehovah  thy  God  in  vain. 
Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy. 
Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother. 
Thou  shalt  not  kill. 
Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 
Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor. 
Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  house,  nor  his  wife,  nor 

anything  that  is  thy  neighbor's. 

Congregation:  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  thy  laws. 

All  these  commandments  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  briefly  com- 
prehended in  these  words:  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
mind,  and  with  all  thy  strength.  And  thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself. 

Congregation:  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  write  all  these 
thy  laws  in  our  hearts,  we  beseech  thee. 

Hymn  of  Praise. 

The  Prayer. 

Collect  of  the  Day.     Prayers. 

The  Chaplain  ^'collects''  the  prayers  of  the  congregation  and  the 
promises  of  the  Bible  lesson. 

A  Lesson  for  the  day  from  the  Bible. 

The  congregation  stand  up  if  the  lesson  is  from  the  Gospels, 
Hymn. 
The  Sermon.  * 


I  The  Voyage  on  H,  M,  S,  " Mauretania''  37 

The  Creed. 

God  wishes  us  to  ^'confess''  our  faith. 

All  standing:  We  believe  in  God  the  Father,  infinite  in  wis- 
dom, goodness,  and  love ;  and  in  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  our 
Lord  and  Saviour,  who  for  us  and  our  salvation  lived  and 
died  and  rose  again  and  liveth  evermore;  and  in  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  taketh  of  the  things  of  Christ  and  revealeth 
them  to  us,  renewing,  comforting  and  inspiring  the  souls 
of  men. 

We  are  united  in  striving  to  know  the  will  of  God  as  taught 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  in  our  purpose  to  walk  in  the 
ways  of  the  Lord,  made  known  or  to  be  made  known  to  us. 

We  hold  it  to  be  the  mission  of  the  Church  of  Christ  to  pro- 
claim the  gospel  to  all  mankind,  exalting  the  worship  of  the 
one  true  God,  and  laboring  for  the  progress  of  knowledge, 
the  promotion  of  justice,  the  reign  of  peace,  and  the  realiza- 
tion of  human  brotherhood. 

Depending,  as  did  our  fathers,  upon  the  continued  guidance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  lead  us  into  all  truth,  we  work  and 
pray  for  the  transformation  of  the  world  into  the  kingdom 
of  God ;  and  we  look  with  faith  for  the  triumph  of  righteous- 
ness and  the  life  everlasting.    Amen. 

The  Covenant. 

All  soldiers  who  accept  the  Covenant  are  invited  to  partake  of 
Holy  Communion. 

Ye  who  do  truly  and  earnestly  repent  you  of  your  sins,  and  are 
in  love  and  charity  with  your  neighbors,  and  intend  to  lead 
a  new  life,  following  the  commandments  of  God,  and  walking 
from  henceforth  in  his  holy  ways;  Draw  near  with  faith. 

All  who  will  take  Communion:  We  now  solemnly  covenant, 
in  the  presence  of  God  and  these  our  fellow-soldiers,  that 
we  will  endeavor,  by  the  help  of  grace,  to  walk  in  all  the 
ordinances  of  the  gospel  blameless,  adorning  our  Christian 
profession  by  a  holy  life  and  a  godly  conversation.    Amen. 

Offertory The  Choir,  or  Band 

"I  will  wash  my  hands  in  innocencyJ^ — The  Chaplain's 
preparation. 


38  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

The  congregation  ^^presenV^  themselves  to  the  Lord,  their  souls 

and  bodies,  their  alms,  and  particularly  their  bread  and  wine. 
Prayer  of  Intercession. 
Holy  Communion. 

(Administration  of  the  bread  and  cup  is  sometimes  omitted.) 

Angels  now  ^'fall  down  and  worship^'  with  awe  and  reverence. 

Lift  up  your  hearts. 

Congregation:  We  lift  them  up  unto  the  Lord. 

Let  us  give  thanks  unto  our  Lord  God. 

Congregation:  It  is  meet  and  right  so  to  do. 

It  is  very  meet,  right,  and  our  bounden  duty,  that  we  should 
at  all  times,  and  in  all  places,  give  thanks  unto  thee,  0  Lord, 
Holy  Father,  Almighty,  Everlasting  God.  (Here  follows 
the  preface,  according  to  the  time.)  Therefore  with  angels 
and  archangels,  and  with  all  the  company  of  heaven,  we  laud 
and  magnify  thy  glorious  name;  evermore  praising  thee, 
and  saying. 

All:  *Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  hosts,  heaven  and 
earth  are  full  of  thy  glory:  Glory  be  to  thee,  O  Lord  Most 
High.     Amen. 

Jesus  Christ  is  now  "in  the  midst  of''  us;  what  we  '^ask^'  ''shall 

be  done";  his  "death"  on  Calvary  is  "proclaimed." 
♦''This  is  my  Body." 
♦"This  is  my  Blood." 

All:  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  thy  name. 
Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  as  it  is  in 

heaven. 
Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. 
And  forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass 

against  us. 
And  lead  us  not  into  temptation  but  deliver  us  from  evil. 
For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  for 

ever  and  ever.    Amen. 

"Behold,  the  Lamb  of  God,  thai  iaketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world!'* 
♦The  Chaplain's  Communion. 


The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  " Mauretania''      '  39 

'^Lordj  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou  shouldest  come  under  my  roof!*' 
— Let  each  pray. 

Prayer  of  Intercession. 

Communion  of  the  Faithful. 

Hymn  of  Thanksgiving. 

The  Benediction. 

Postlude The  Band 

"  The  Word  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,*' 

Seven  hymns,  the  seven  favorites  of  the  regiment,  were  printed 
on  the  church  service  sheet: 

1.  "The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic."  (Tune,  John  Brown's 
Body.) 

2.  "Onward,  Christian  Soldiers."    (Tune,  St.  Gertrude.) 

3.  "Eternal  Father,  Strong  to  Save."     (Tune,  Melita.) 

4.  "O  Beautiful  for  Spacious  Skies."     (Tune,  Materna.) 

5.  "Faith  of  Our  Fathers."     (Tune,  St.  Catherine.) 

6.  "Stand  up,  Stand  up  for  Jesus."    (Tune,  Webb.) 

7.  "The  Son  of  God  Goes  Forth  to  War."     (Tune,  Cutler.) 

The  hardest  task  the  Chaplain  had  to  perform  during  his  months 
in  France  was  the  securing  of  a  fresh  supply  of  this  order  of  service 
from  a  printer  in  Clermont  Ferrand  who  could  not  speak  EngHsh ; 
anyone  who  desires  to  test  his  knowledge  of  French  need  only  under- 
take to  read  proof  under  such  circumstances.  This  order  of  wor- 
ship, in  full,  or  simphfied  to  meet  exigencies,  was  employed  on  ship- 
board, in  Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts  or  tents,  in  barracks  or  mess-shacks,  in 
shattered  village  churches  of  France,  and  under  the  gun  camouflage; 
and  is  now  fragrant  with  sacred  memories  of  comfort  in  sorrow,  of 
strengthened  determination  in  the  face  of  the  great  task,  of  pro- 
tection amid  flying  shells  and  of  thanksgiving  for  victory.  It  seemed 
to  meet  the  religious  needs  of  all  the  men,  regardless  of  denomina- 
tional affiHation. 

Notwithstanding  submarines,  the  passengers  on  the  "Maure- 
tania"  conducted  a  concert  on  Mch.  30,  which  not  only  prevented 
everyone  from  thinking  of  the  danger  of  the  situation,  but  also 
netted  the  snug  sum  of  $229.03.    The  program  was  as  follows: 


40 


The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 


Programme  of  Entertainment  in  aid  of  Seamen's  Charities  at 

Liverpool  &  New  York 

Held  on  board  H.  M.  S.  ''Mauretania'* 

(By  permission  of   Captain  A.  H.  Rostron) 

On  Saturday,    March   30th,    1918,   at  8.30  p.  m.,   in  the 

First  Class  Lounge 

Chairman:  Brig.-General  George  W.  Gatchell,  U.  S.  A. 

Part  I. 
March  55th  Artillery  Band 

Eric  H.  F.  Svensson,  Band  Leader 
Selection  55th  Artillery  Quartet 

Pvts.  Viscounte,  Margeson,  Stewart,  and  ElHott 
Female  Impersonation  Pvt.  Ray  Lawrence,  65th  Art. 

(Formerly  of  Pantage's  Circuit) 

« 

55th  Artillery  Quartet 
Mech,  Carroll,  55th  Art. 
Sgt.  Reu,  65th  Art. 
Steward  J.  Parkinson 

("Mauretania'') 
55th  Artillery  Band 
Collection 
Part  II. 

Pvt.  J.  Evans,  116th  Base  Hosp. 
Cpl.    "Jimmie"    Manning,    65th 
Art.    (Formerly  of  Keith's  Cir- 
cuit) 
Sgt.  Guerard,  55th  Art. 
Pvt.  Wm.  Dekoskie,  116th  Base 

Hosp. 
Cpl.   "Johnnie"   Harrigan,   55th 
Art.    (Formerly  of  Keith's  and 
Loew's  Circuits) 
Accompanist  Pvt.  John  Marr,  55th  Art. 

Selection  55th  Artillery  Band 

"The  Star-Spangled  Banner"       "God  Save  the  King" 
Committee:  The  Chaplains  of  the  55th  and  65th  Regiments  of 
Artillery  (C.  A.  C.)  U.  S.  A. 


Selection 

Rifle  Exhibition 

Reading 

Selection 

Selection 

Chairman's  Address 

Solo 

Buck  and  Wing  Dancing 


Telling  Tales 
Solo 

A  Little  Nonsense 


The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  '' Mauretania'*  41 

The  Band  of  the  65th  were  newly  organized  (and  part  of  the 
men  had  remained  behind  in  quarantine),  so  that  they  were  not 
prepared  to  help  in  a  concert  program.  With  three  of  the  star 
performers,  in  civil  life,  professional  entertainers,  it  is  no  wonder 
that  the  program  possessed  artistic  merit.  One  or  two  of  the  com- 
ical features  remained  in  the  regimental  memory  thruout  the  entire 
war — Cpl.  Harrigan's  explanation  that  others  might  join  the  in- 
fantry and  walk,  or  the  cavalry  and  ride,  but  he  preferred  the  coast 
artillery  where  he  could  ''coast";  and  also  his  plaint  about  how 
"the  wild,  wild  women"  abused  him.  Col.  Sevier  disapproved  of 
some  of  Cpl.  Harrigan's  nonsense  on  the  ground  that  it  offended  good 
taste,  and  consequently  issued  an  order  that  the  Chaplain  should 
"censor"  all  of  Cpl.  "Johnnie's"  future  numbers.  The  corporal 
and  the  Chaplain  were  firm  friends — but  one  might  as  well  censor 
the  whirlwind  as  to  place  bonds  on  this  irrepressible  vaudeville 
artist.  The  corporal  and  the  Chaplain  continued  friends  until 
after  the  regiment's  return  to  America;  then  the  corporal  hap- 
pened, one  day,  to  see  the  Chaplain  assist  a  lady  to  her  feet,  a 
lady  who  had  slipped  on  the  Tremont  St.  asphalt  in  Boston  and 
was  in  momentary  danger  from  passing  automobiles;  and  he  pro- 
ceeded to  circulate  a  slander,  to  the  effect  that  he  saw  the  Chaplain 
"pick  up  a  strange  dame  on  the  street."  After  that — they  kept 
on  being  friends  just  the  same. 

About  4.30  A.  M.  on  Monday,  Apr.  1,  the  ship's  officers  pointed 
out  faint  wisps  of  smoke  ahead  of  the  ship,  on  the  horizon,  and 
explained,  "There  come  your  American  destroyers."  One  Ameri- 
can exclaimed  so  fervently,  "Thank  God,"  that  he  almost  offended 
the  Britishers;  but  it  was  a  beautiful  sight.  Admiral  Sims  had 
established  a  reputation  for  "getting"  the  submarine  every  time  he 
went  after  it,  and  his  four  fleet  vessels,  the  hounds  of  the  sea,  gave 
a  sense  of  reassurance  to  all  on  board.  No  matter  how  fast  the 
great  ship  steamed  nor  how  suddenly  she  zig-zagged,  the  destroyers 
were  able  to  keep  in  position  ahead  or  abeam  of  her,  and  indeed 
at  times  they  circled  entirely  around  her.  The  Paymaster  of  the 
"Mauretania"  had  been  on  duty  all  night  sending  and  receiving 
code  messages  over  the  wireless  and  experienced  difficulty  guiding 
the  little  ships  to  the  correct  rendezvous,  and  Capt.  Rostron  had 
slept  only  one  hour  of  the  last  forty-eight;  they  both  appreciated 
the  presence  of  the  escorts  by  our  side. 


42  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

April  Foors  day  was  spent  by  all  hands  looking  for  submarines, 
and  for  Ireland;  neither  appeared.  The  other  occupation  which 
developed  was  ^'censoring."  The  Chaplain  had  been  appointed 
chief  censor  the  day  before  and  had  announced  that  letters  posted 
on  the  wharf  would  start  immediately  for  America.  He  kept 
his  word  about  the  mail;  and  the  soldiers  and  nurses  came  forward 
with  at  least  two  bushels  of  letters.  The  trouble  was  to  get  the 
machinery  of  censoring  into  operation.  One  oiSicer  was  detailed 
in  every  unit,  and  instructions  were  issued;  but  the  officers  were 
all  very  busy  looking  for  submarines;'  and  most  peculiar  of  all, 
each  officer  seemed  to  need  the  services  of  a  nurse  in  helping  main- 
tain his  lookout,  and  the  watch  continued  long  after  dark  when  no 
one  could  possibly  see  either  a  submarine  or  Ireland.  Finally 
enough  officers  were  "pried  loose"  to  get  things  going;  for  many 
this  proved  to  be  the  initiation  into  the  most  burdensome  task 
of  their  entire  army  careers,  a  task  which  lasted  up  to  the  follow- 
ing January,  and  was  made  especially  hard  on  the  "Mauretania'' 
because,  so  the  destroyer  informed  us,  our  cabin  lights  were  show- 
ing and  must  be  extinguished,  except  in  the  very  ill-ventilated 
interior  of  the  vessel.  The  officers  of  the  Base  Hospital  and  the 
Medical  Unit  came  to  the  Chaplain  and  requested  him  to  censor 
for  them;  their  constituency  consisted  of  ladies  and  it  was  delicate 
business  censoring  a  lady's  letters,  especially  when  she  had  not  yet 
become  accustomed  to  censorship  restrictions.  But  the  Chaplain 
pointed  out  that  these  officers  would  have  to  do  the  work  sooner 
or  later  and  induced  them  to  "take  up  the  white  man's  burden." 
One  soldier  of  the  Medical  Corps,  who  was  feeling  piqued  at  see- 
ing so  much  dancing  go  on  without  his  participating,  gave  his 
letter  to  the  head  nurse,  a  lady,  to  be  censored,  and  in  it  included 
some  scathing  criticism  of  the  age  and  looks  of  nurses  as  a  class — 
the  Surgeon  happily  intercepted  the  offending  letter  before  any 
mischief  was  done. 

How  National  this  war  was  and  how  it  enlisted  the  whole  of 
America  came  out  at  dinner-time  when  the  five  officers  sitting 
at  a  single  table  compared  notes  and  ascertained  that  their  homes 
were  respectively  in  West  Virginia,  Kansas,  Louisiana,  Oregon  and 
Massachusetts;  the  middle  three  were  officers  of  the  65th. 

Everyone  was  up  early  the  next  morning;  the  ship  had  passed 
the  south  of  Ireland  during  the  night  and  was  now  going  from  St. 
George's  Channel  into  the  Irish  Sea  with  Holyhead  and  other 


The  Voyage  on  H.  M.  S.  ^' Mauretania'^  43 

Welsh  hills  rising  on  the  starboard  side.  High  in  the  air  a  dirigible 
was  watching  for  submarines,  while  occasional  sea-planes  would 
swoop  about  the  ship;  with  band  playing  and  wireless  snapping 
we  bade  farewell  to  our  destroyers,  when  they  patiently  turned 
again  seaward  on  the  never  ending  task  of  convoying  troop-ships. 
As  we  approached  the  harbor  of  Liverpool,  about  noon,  we  were 
given  a  rousing  welcome;  for  a  rumor  had  been  abroad  the  day 
previous  that  the  "Mauretania'^  was  torpedoed  and  lost.  Harbor 
craft  blew  their  whistles,  and  dense  masses  of  people  lined  the  shore 
on  both  the  Birkenhead  and  Liverpool  sides;  the  55th  Band  re- 
sponded by  playiijLg  the  three  national  anthems,  American,  French 
and  British.  It  was  3  p.  m.  when  we  entered  the  dock  and  were 
moored  to  the  quay.  Quarters  had  been  carefully  policed  and  the 
troops  were  ready  to  make  their  landing,  when  word  came  to  re- 
main aboard  until  morning.  The  ship's  people  had  also  expected 
us  to  leave  them,  for  they  made  no  preparations  to  serve  the  troops 
supper,  until  very  late — and  then  the  quantity  fell  off.  No  officer 
or  man  of  the  55th  was  allowed  ashore  that  night,  and  all  had  to 
comfort  themselves  by  watching  the  elevated  trains  pass  and  re- 
pass the  ends  of  the  great  warehouses  which  limited  the  view 
shoreward.  ''DayHght-saving"  had  gone  into  effect  the  day  be- 
fore, both  here  and  at  home,  and  the  "Mauretania's"  passengers 
took  it  up  twenty-four  hours  late;  now  they  pushed  the  hands  of 
their  watches  ahead  two  and  one-half  hours,  partly  to  compensate 
for  their  long  progress  easterly  and  partly  to  comply  with  the 
new-fangled  scheme.  English  newspapers  gave  the  Americans  a 
distinct  shock,  for  they  were  condensed  to  the  very  smallest  pro- 
portions and  had  all  the  juice  squeezed  out  of  them  by  the  censor; 
even  so,  they  indicated  an  unfavorable  development  of  the  Somme 
Defensive  during  the  period  of  the  voyage,  and  they  confirmed 
the  fact  that  a  gun  actually  existed  sufficiently  powerful  to  bombard 
Paris  from  a  distance  of  over  seventy  miles.  As  a  partial  offset, 
however,  to  the  evil  tidings  was  the  announcement  that  "unity 
of  command"  had  finally  been  effected  and  Marshal  Ferdinand 
Foch  had,  on  Mch.  29,  been  appointed  Allied  generalissimo;  all 
passengers  on  the  "Mauretania"  felt  pride  in  the  news  that  the 
American  commander.  Gen.  Pershing,  while  insisting  that  his 
troops  should  fight  as  an  army  and  be  more  than  mere  replace- 
ments to  the  French  and  British  units,  was  first  to  place  his  entire 
force  unreservedly  at  Foch's  disposal,   giving  up  whatever  inde- 


44  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

pendent  plans  he  may  have  formed  and  proving  himself,  as  the 
army  phrased  it,  ^'a  good  sport." 

According  to  prevailing  instructions  American  soldiers  had  been 
authorized  to  count  foreign-service  time  and  to  wear  chevrons 
accordingly,  from  the  date  of  sailing;  presently  the  55th  were  to 
learn  that  foreign-service  pay  had  been  running  from  Mch.  25, 
but  that  chevron-time  began  at  the  conclusion,  not  the  outset  of 
the  eight-day  voyage — on  Apr.  2.  Now  at  length,  even  by  con- 
servative reckoning,  the  regiment's  overseas  experience  had  begun. 


CHAPTER  III 

In  England  and  Into  France 

EVERYONE  was  astir  bright  and  early  on  Apr.  3;  the  regi- 
ment formed  amongst  drays  and  trucks  in  muddy  roadways 
leading  from  the  docks,  and  soon  started  for  the  Central 
Station,  in  two  sections,  under  command  respectively  of  Maj. 
Dusenbury  and  Lt.  Col.  Shedd.  A  few  cases  of  measles  and  pneu- 
monia and  one  of  scarlet  fever  had  developed  during  the  voyage; 
the  seriously  ill  were  transferred  to  a  Liverpool  hospital,  while  those 
slightly  incapacitated  were  given  car-fare  (American  money — there 
was  no  English  available)  and  directed  to  make  the  best  of  their 
way  to  the  station.  The  regimental  Band  played  Maj .  Dusenbury's 
batteries  across  the  city;  the  marching  of  Col.  Shedd's  section  was 
stimulated  by  a  band  thoughtfully  provided  by  the  British  authori- 
ties— and  the  Americans  gained  a  realizing  sense  of  what  the  ex- 
haustion of  British  man-power  signified  when  they  saw  the  aggrega- 
tion of  invalids  and  children  attempting  to  produce  "music.*'  No 
wonder  the  tunes  were  decrepit  and  mournful,  even  tho  kindly 
intended.  Orders  had  been  issued  not  to  leave  the  formation  nor  to 
talk  with  people,  and  they  were  obeyed;  but  it  was  not  easy  to  ignore 
the  remarks  of  the  crowd  or  refuse  the  ale  which  they  were  ready  to 
pass  out;  and  indeed  considerable  self-restraint  was  required  to 
keep  from  "rubber-necking''  at  one's  first  ghmpse  of  English  streets 
and  "bobbies."  The  long  queues  of  would-be  purchasers  before 
every  food-shop  prepared  us  to  brace  ourselves  against  famine  later 
in  the  day,  and  we  learned  how  actually  hungry  England  was  in 
April,  1918.  Coming  as  the  Americans  did  from  a  land  where  the 
prohibition  agitation  was  powerful  and  presently  to  be  successful, 
they  could  not  understand  how  such  scarcity  of  things  to  eat  could 
coexist  with  such  apparent  abundance  of  drink.  The  route  led  east 
to  Scotland  Road  and  then  south  on  that  main  thorofare  past  St. 
George's  Hall  and  the  Lime  St.  Station  to  Central  Station;  it  almost 
seemed  as  if  the  parade  had  been  staged  for  its  moral  effect  in  cheer- 
ing the  Liverpool  populace,  and  certainly  the  Americans  had  a 
cordial  greeting.  Suppose  one  woman  did  remark,  "Oh,  look  at  all 
those  poor  boys!  Such  fine  big  men!  And  to  think  that  they  are 
all  going  to  be  shot." 


46  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Her  doleful  suggestion  was  more  than  offset  by  her  neighbor's 
shout,  "Give  'em  hell  for  me,  boys;  give  'em  hell!" 

Leaving  the  Supply  Co.  under  Capt.  Ralph  W.  Wilson,  reinforced 
by  a  special  detail  from  each  battery,  to  move  the  baggage  and  to 
follow  at  night  via  the  L.  &  N.  W.,  the  regiment  pulled  out  via  the 
G.  C.  R.  R.  thru  the  Derbyshire  ''peak  district,"  Sheffield,  Notting- 
ham, Leicester,  to  Rugby,  starting  during  the  morning,  and  receiv- 
ing as  luncheon  a  generous  supply  of  sandwiches  and  hot  coffee  from 
the  Red  Cross  at  Leicester.  Then  transferring  to  the  G.  W.  R.  R., 
the  trains  moved  on  thru  Oxford  and  Winchester  to  their  destina- 
tion; if  the  55th  had  seemed  to  be  traveling  ''the  royal  road  to 
learning"  when  they  "went  thru"  West  Point  a  few  weeks  pre- 
viously, now  they  speeded  up  their  educational  course  in  more 
bewildering  fashion;  for  a  single  afternoon  sufficed  to  take  them 
thru  three  of  England's  most  distinguished  institutions.  Rugby, 
Oxford  and  Winchester  had  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  the  young 
men  who  both  came  and  went  that  April  afternoon. 

Never  had  tourists  a  finer  chance  to  see  the  beauties  of  England; 
the  fields  looked  their  greenest,  with  carpeting  of  grass  and  moss, 
and  the  hedgerows  and  foliage  were  charming,  while  robins  and  sky- 
larks added  the  music  of  their  song.  All  along  the  route  people  came 
out  to  cheer  us,  while  children  waved  handkerchiefs  and  threw  kiss- 
es. At  every  stop  the  men  jumped  out  and  marveled  at  the  differ- 
ences between  railroading  in  old  England  and  New  England.  How 
they  "kidded"  the  solemn-looking  natives!  One  man,  with  an 
aluminum  identification  tag  in  his  eye  for  a  monocle,  remarked, 
"  H'l  sye,  old  chawp,  so  this  h'is  h'England?  What  the  bloomin' 
'ell  station  h'is  this?"  Men  were  warned  to  get  back  into  their 
compartments  by  the  familiar  sound  of  the  "boat-call,"  blown  by 
the  bugler.  Indeed  the  55th  were  privileged  that  day  to  ride  in 
comfortable  cars,  howbeit  somewhat  crowded,  thru  the  most  beau- 
tiful portion  of  the  isle.  The  English  seemed  to  regret  the  necessity 
of  allowing  these  tourists  to  pass  without  charging  them  roundly  for 
the  exhibition;  for  the  officer  who  met  the  regiment  at  the  Romsey 
Station  remarked,  with  a  sigh,  "It  did  not  cost  you  a  farthing." 
From  Oxford  on,  daylight  left  the  travelers;  and  they  were  made 
aware  that  perils  beset  their  course,  when  they  were  forbidden  to 
show  lights — air-raids  were  very  frequent  in  that  section.  More- 
over, the  weather  slipped  back  from  its  unwonted  sunshine  into  the 
more  normal  drizzle. 


In  England  and  Into  France  47 

Passing  Southampton  the  trains  went  several  miles  farther  and 
stopped  about  8  p.  m.  in  dense  darkness  at  a  little  town  which  was 
later  discovered  to  be  Romsey,  in  Hants.  Besides  the  two  regular 
sections  commanded  by  Col.  Sevier  and  Maj.  Dusenbury,  a  third 
section  of  the  train,  commanded  by  Lt.  Col.  Shedd,  conveyed  our 
"  overflow '^  and  also  that  of  the  65th  Regiment.  When  the  last  train 
arrived  about  10  p.  m.,  the  guards  ran  alongside  the  cars  shouting, 
"All  out,  and  hurry  up  so  you  don^t  delay  the  trains '';  and  all 
hands  started  strapping  on  their  packs — with  some  confusion  be- 
cause of  the  darkness.  Sgt.  John  Mclsaac  of  Bat.  F  finally  made  his 
way  out  thru  a  hole  in  the  platform  fence  and  shouted,  *' Battery  F, 
fall  in!"  As  the  squad-leaders  called  out,  "Sixth  squad,  here,'' 
"Twenty-first  squad,  here,"  the  men  finally  ralhed  into  little  groups 
in  numerical  order;  but  confusion  continued,  with  incomprehensible 
remarks.  "Get  out  of  here,  you  don't  belong  here."  "Yes,  I  do, 
who  are  you,  anyway?"  "Since  when  were  you  in  charge  of  this 
squad?  This  is  my  squad."  "No,  it's  mine."  Something  was 
"off";  moreover,  there  seemed  to  be  endless  men  trying  to  get  into 
battery  formation.  At  this  juncture  a  guide  appeared  with  a  lan- 
tern and  solved  the  mystery;  on  the  "overflow"  train  were  not  only 
Bat.  F  of  the  55th  but  also  Bat.  F  of  the  65th,  each  ignorant  of  the 
other's  presence,  and  the  two  had  been  attempting  to  form  as  a 
single  battery. 

Following  the  guide  thru  the  inky  blackness,  lighted  only  by  his 
single  lantern,  they  marched  more  than  a  mile  thru  what  they 
thought  to  be  open  country;  and  actually  went  right  thru  the  Town 
of  Romsey  without  knowing  it.  Presently  they  found  themselves 
in  an  English  "rest-camp"  where  they  were  to  settle.  The  camp 
had  been  created  long  before  as  a  center  for  British  aviators,  and 
now  was  turned  over  to  the  Americans;  aside  from  a  police  detail 
from  the  41st  Division,  our  artillery  regiments  were  the  first  occu- 
pants. Tents  were  intended  to  shelter  eight  officers  or  twelve  men 
each;  but  the  guide  explained  that  twenty-three  men  would  need  to 
crowd  in  each  tonight.  Soon  from  out  the  darkness  of  the  interiors 
came  such  cries  as,  "Here,  get  your  foot  off  my  face;  what  do  you 
think  I  am,  a  carpet?"  A  sergeant  was  put  in  charge  of  each  ent. 
When  the  last  tent  had  received  its  twenty-three,  there  were  still 
nearly  two  score  men  left  out  in  the  rain;  so  a  quota  of  these  were 
estabhshed  in  the  guard-tent  (no  one  knew  what  had  become  of  the 
guard)  and  the  rest  were  assigned  to  the  tents  already  so  crowded. 


48  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

If  a  tent  sergeant  objected  that  there  was  no  room,  he  was  told  that 
he  would  have  to  be  the  unfortunate  outsider,  and  immediately  his 
objection  vanished.  Blankets  were  issued  at  the  rate  of  three  per 
man,  and  came  in  rolls  of  ten ;  they  must  have  weighed  quite  a  little ; 
for  a  howl  was  certain  to  result  when  a  bundle  was  thrown  into  a 
crowded  tent.  Officers  had  bunks  of  boards,  with  hard  straw  mat- 
tresses.   Eventually  all  were  settled  and  slept  soundly. 

Food  shortage  here  became  a  stern  reality  to  the  55th;  breakfast 
consisted  of  a  few,  very  few,  pieces  of  thin  bread,  one  thin  slice  of 
bacon,  a  little  marmalade,  and  a  cup  of  coffee,  while  other  meals 
were  not  much  better.  One  lieutenant  missed  the  first  breakfast 
and  vowed  that  he  never  did  catch  up.  The  men  were  taken  out  for 
hikes  and  easy  drills,  and  really  had  no  serious  ground  for  grum- 
bling. Signs  advertising  ''Strong's  Romsey  Ales"  stimulated  thirst 
in  some,  thirst  which  could  not  be  gratified  because  ''town"  was 
*'out  of  limits."  They  felt  better,  however,  when  they  heard  an 
officer  explain  how  he  visited  Romsey  with  its  fifteen  fancily  named 
inns  and  drank  the  whole  town  dry.  "  How  did  you  do  it?"  "  Easy 
— had  two  glasses  at  the  first;  that  was  all  they  had — and  the  rest 
had  none."  After  that  "The  Pink  Angleworm"  and  other  taverns 
lost  their  attractiveness.  Food-shops  were  equally  short  of  stock; 
tobacco,  matches  and  everything  edible  were  "rationed,"  and  meals 
could  not  be  had  in  a  restaurant  without  special  permission  from  the 
camp  commander — permission  never  granted.  Guards  had  to  be 
posted  at  camp  to  keep  men  from  bribing  the  village  youngsters  to 
buy  them  bread,  as  the  villagers  would  otherwise  suffer  for  the  lack 
of  this  very  food-stuff.  The  Colonel  directed  the  Chaplain  to  go 
about  and  urge  men  to  restrain  their  appetites  under  existing  cir- 
cumstances, and  the  command  was  obeyed;  but  the  Chaplain  was 
himself  too  hungry  to  be  very  zealous.  Industry  was  mostly  in 
female  hands,  owing  to  the  war;  it  seemed  odd  to  be  shaved  by  a 
female  barber;  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  tonsorial  artist 
could  wield  a  razor,  and  moreover  she  sustained  the  proprieties  by 
having  a  chaperon  in  the  room  at  all  times. 

Romsey  proved  to  be  historic  ground,  for  there  the  royalists 
under  Sir  Edward  Waller  had  resisted  Cromwell's  men  in  the  days 
of  the  Commonwealth.  It  was  an  old  Hampshire  market-town. 
Its  crowning  glory  was  the  ancient  abbey  church  of  Saints  Mary 
and  Ethelflaeda,  the  most  beautiful  Norman  abbey  church  in  the 
south  of  England.    When,  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  Henry 


Band  Grvmo  Concert  at  Acbiere.     Note  CLEAXLiNEbb  ok  6rRtt.is — U  t,  LLt^Ast.u  1  utM 


Battery  C  at  AiHiiiUK 


Trembley  Funeral,  Aubiere 


Street  Slaughter  House,  Aubiere 


Kitchen  of  Heauulautkus  Co.,  Supply  Co.,  Batteries  C  and  D,  at  Aluieue 


In  England  and  Into  France  49 

VIII  dissolved  and  plundered  the  nunnery,  he  sold  the  church  to 
Romsey's  villagers  to  use  as  a  parish  house  of  worship;  and  such 
was  the  purchasing  power  of  money  in  those  merry  days,  that  the 
king  asked,  and  received,  only  £100  in  full  payment.  Portions  of 
the  existing  fabric  were  built  as  early  as  the  year  967.  Lord  Palm- 
erston,  twice  Prime  Minister  of  England  under  Queen  Victoria,  was 
a  native  of  Romsey. 

A  number  of  the  regiment  were  allowed  a  few  hours  liberty  to 
visit  nearby  Winchester.  Familiar  with  Plymouth,  Salem  and 
Concord,  the  55th  knew  well  how  to  appreciate  the  city  which,  for 
the  old  country,  combines  the  flavor  of  all  three  American  shrines, 
and  indeed  carries  one  back  thru  history  to  an  unimagined  past. 
Winchester  had  been  the  Camelot  of  King  Arthur,  where  he  feasted 
with  his  knights  about  ''the  table  round";  it  was  the  capital  city 
of  ''the  good  Saxon  Alfred,"  and  later  of  the  greatest  Normans. 
More  recently  it  had  given  to  England :  William  of  Wickham,  the 
ecclesiastical  statesman;  Isaac  Walton,  the  gentle  angler;  and 
Jane  Austen,  the  novelist.  One  seemed  to  feel  the  combined  in- 
fluence of  manifold  genius  while  wandering  thru  the  ancient  streets. 

Officers  who  served  as  mail  censors  really  came  to  grapples  with 
their  task  at  Romsey;  it  seemed  as  if  every  man  in  the  regiment 
wrote  at  least  one  letter  reporting  his  safe  arrival,  giving  his  im- 
pressions of  the  old  country  and  announcing  a  speedy  move  by  the 
command  forward  into  the  unknown.  Censorship  had  been  estab- 
lished by  General  Order  No.  13,  A.  E.  F.,  dated  July  13,  1917,  and 
these  were  all  the  instructions  thus  far  issued  to  the  regiment;  now 
they  learned  of  the  Act  of  Congress,  approved  Oct.  3,  1917,  which 
modified  the  original  provisions,  and  they  also  received  the  first  in 
a  long  series  of  circulars  which  were  destined  to  keep  censorship 
regulations  fluctuating  thruout  the  war.  Many  questions  came  up 
which  presented  difficulty.  No  postage  was  required  from  the 
soldier;  but  how  about  the  recipient  of  the  letter — must  he  pay? 
Must  one  write  his  name  on  the  outside  of  the  envelope  or  must  he 
not?  Should  one  give  the  designation  of  the  regiment  either  outside 
or  inside  the  envelope,  or  should  he  not?  Could  the  soldier  tell 
where  he  was,  either  in  the  back  area  or  at  the  front?  Censors  in 
the  55th  "played  safe"  and  so  went  thru  the  war  escaping  the 
trouble  which  constantly  beset  censors  in  other  organizations.  The 
censorship  prohibition  of  diary-keeping  was  very  discouraging  to 
4 


60  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

regimental  literary  men,  who  had  in  mind  the  preparation  of  a 
regimental  history  at  some  future  date;  but  a  *'way  was  found." 

The  Army  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  "always  on  the  job  doing  a  wonderful 
work/^  as  men  of  the  55th  wrote  home  in  letters  from  Romsey,  and 
the  regiment  profited  by  the  **  Y"  work.  An  especially  fine  patriotic 
entertainment  was  given  on  the  last  evening  before  they  left,  with 
music  by  the  Band,  songs  and  brief  addresses. 

When  it  was  time  for  departure,  everything  would  have  gone 
smoothly,  except  that  the  camp  Quartermaster  insisted  on  counting 
all  the  blankets  he  took  in.  He  knew  only  too  well  that  many  bun- 
dles handed  out  the  dark  night  of  the  regiment's  arrival  and  said  to 
contain  ten  blankets,  had  only  eight  or  nine;  the  regiment  was 
actually  "shy''  several  hundred  blankets.  Now,  however,  as  the 
bundles  came  back,  they  had  one  or  two  blankets  rolled  so  that 
both  edges  of  the  same  blanket  showed  at  the  edge  of  the  roll;  and 
as  edges  only  were  counted,  the  tally  was  ten.  Under  this  system 
care  had  to  be  exercised,  not  for  fear  of  falling  short  but  of  exceeding 
the  proper  total. 

Sunday,  Apr.  7,  was  the  date  set  for  moving;  and  at  9.45  a.  m. 
the  regiment  were  ready  to  start.  While  adjusting  blanket  diffi- 
culties, they  were  chagrined  to  see  the  65th  "cut  in"  ahead  of  them 
and  march  down  the  road  first;  but  "tables  were  turned"  later  when 
the  65th  were  ordered  to  stand  in  the  gutter  and  allow  the  55th  to 
regain  the  lead.  The  distance  to  Southampton  was  about  eight 
miles  and  was  covered  on  foot;  as  the  route  led  thru  some  of  the  most 
charming  as  well  as  most  historic  roads  of  all  England,  and  with 
the  sun  shining  its  brightest,  that  April  hike  was  a  memorably 
pleasant  one.  The  Band  led  the  column;  the  musicians  had  lost 
heavily  from  "quarantine"  at  Romsey  and  left  one-third  of  their 
number  behind,  but  even  two-thirds  of  a  band  was  a  tremendous 
help.  Maj.  Dusenbury  suffered  from  a  terrible  cold  and  was  a  very 
sick  man;  nothing,  however,  could  induce  him  to  leave  his  post  at 
the  head  of  the  1st  Batl.  The  men  ate  luncheon  half  way  along 
the  journey. 

For  the  last  half  of  the  way  the  Americans  were  traveling  one 
of  the  oldest  roads  in  Great  Britain,  the  Roman  "via"  from 
Winchester  to  Southampton,  the  holy  "road  of  the  lost  footsteps." 
In  the  footprints  of  ancient  Roman  legionaries,  of  knights  on  search 
for  the  Holy  Grail,  of  Alfred's  freeborn  Saxons,  of  Norman  con- 
querors, of  America's  Pilgrim  Fathers  about  to  embark  aboard 


52  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

the  "Mayflower/^  of  Cromweirs  "Ironsides,"  and  of  numberless 
heroes  who  went  to  death  at  Gallipoli  or  in  Flanders  fields,  now 
trudged  the  sons  of  the  new  world;  to  one  familiar  with  the  neigh- 
borhood every  foot  of  it  was  water-lopped  with  tears,  every  dwell- 
ing darkened  by  the  memory  of  loss  or  the  shadow  of  suspense, 
every  vista  instinct  with  the  suggestion  of  heroic  purpose,  and  every 
turn  of  the  road  quivered  with  ghosts.  Natives  were  sizing  up 
these  most  recent  arrivals;  one  Englishman  expressed  it;  ''The 
eyes  under  the  broad  brims  swept  the  street,  taking  in  everything, 
full  of  curiosity  and  comparison,  all  mixed  up  with  that  defensive 
'mustn't-give-myself-away'  attitude  that  you  see  on  the  face  of 
a  new  boy  at  school.  They  wore  the  chin-strap  behind,  Harrow 
fashion,  and  the  four  dimples  in  the  crown  would  faithfully  collect 
the  rain."  The  Americans  were  also  adding  to  their  opinion  of 
England,  appraising  everything  with  critical  and  kindly  judgment. 
After  a  long  march  thru  the  town,  they  finally  arrived  at  the 
wharf  and  were  loaded  on  H.  M.  S.  "Antrim,"  an  old  Midland 
R.  R.  steamer  which,  in  peace-times,  had  made  the  run  from 
England  to  Ireland.  The  boat  could  perhaps  have  carried  400 
passengers  comfortably;  now  between  1,800  and  1,900  were  crowded 
aboard.  With  such  an  interpretation  of  the  vessel's  capacity,  it 
was  no  wonder  that  she  was  able  to  transport  more  than  1,000,000 
men  during  the  war.  First  the  troops  marched,  single  file,  down 
below  and  deposited  rifles,  belts  and  equipment  in  the  lowest 
deck-space;  these,  owing  to  lack  of  room,  had  to  be  piled  in  a  heap 
and  became  all  mixed  up.  The  men  returned  directly  to  the  outer 
deck.  Then  all  batteries  were  assigned  positions  on  the  deck,  to 
be  occupied  in  case  it  should  become  necessary  to  abandon  ship; 
this  drill  was  a  grim  process,  as  the  "Antrim"  had  no  boats  and 
her  passengers  would  depend  entirely  upon  rafts  in  the  event  of 
disaster.  They  had  to  stand  four  deep  all  around  the  ship;  and 
after  drill,  many  remained  just  where  they  were,  for  there  was 
nowhere  else  to  go.  Embarkation  did  not  proceed  as  promptly 
as  the  Colonel  thought  it  should,  and  certain  officers  "got  a  good 
earful,"  as  they  testified,  but  finally,  leaving  part  of  the  Supply  Co. 
to  follow  with  the  regimental  baggage,  the  ship  cast  off  her  moor- 
ings and  dropped  down  the  harbor.  The  baggage  section  were 
"favored"  with  an  even  poorer  craft  than  the  others,  a  horse- 
transport.  The  "Antrim"  also  took  aboard  ten  or  more  car-loads 
of  mail  for  the  armies  as  a  favor  to  the  British — a  great  boon  for 


In  England  and  Into  France  63 

the  fortunate  English  soldiers  at  the  front,  but  a  cause  of  more 
delay  and  over-crowding  for  the  55th.  The  British  authorities 
thanked  the  regiment  for  this  service. 

Thru  Spithead  and  past  the  Isle  of  Wight  steamed  the  little 
transport,  and  came  to  anchor  off  Gosport  and  the  great  naval 
station  at  Portsmouth,  to  wait  for  darkness.  How  many  of  the 
Massachusetts  coast  artillerymen  recalled  the  feat  of  their  prede- 
cessors at  another  "Gosport  navy-yard"  fifty-seven  years  before; 
when  the  "Merrimac"  had  been  snatched  from  beneath  enemy 
guns  and  rendered  useless  as  an  engine  of  warfare?  As  dusk  drew 
on,  about  5.30  p.  m.,  the  ship  weighed  anchor,  and,  convoyed  by 
four  British  destroyers,  made  her  way  into  the  EngUsh  Channel; 
the  men  were  nibbling  their  scanty  supper  of  two  hard-tack 
and  a  taste  of  cheese  apiece,  or  else  struggling  to  buy  a  little  poor 
coffee  from  the  over-crowded  ship's  canteen.  Fortunately  the  night 
was  one  of  rain  and  inky  darkness,  so  that  hostile  submarines  had 
a  poor  chance;  and  it  should  be  added,  to  the  credit  of  the  British 
Navy,  that  not  a  single  passenger  ever  lost  his  life  on  this  route 
at  any  time  during  the  war.  Later  in  the  evening  officers  and 
"non-coms"  spent  several  hours  sorting  packs  and  rifles  by  num- 
bers, from  the  general  pell-mell,  and  next  morning  the  men  of 
at  least  part  of  the  regiment  were  able  to  debark  promptly,  each 
having  his  own  equipment.  From  one  point  of  view  there  was  a 
measure  of  commendable  economy  in  serving  a  scanty  supper,  as 
the  Channel  did  its  worst  to  live  up  to  a  bad  reputation  and  what- 
ever went  down  had  to  come  up. 

Most  of  the  officers  managed  to  crowd  into  some  staterooms,  re- 
served for  them,  and  others  hired  private  cabins  from  the  ship's 
officers;  >the  men  slept  in  the  corridors,  everyone  with  his  head 
on  someone's  else  chest,  or  on  the  stairways  or  on  and  under  the 
dining-tables — in  every  conceivable  place.  It  was  impossible  to 
walk  about  without  stepping  on  men.  All  experienced  relief  when, 
at  2.30  A.  M.,  the  engine  ceased  throbbing,  and  they  knew  they  were 
in  a  French  harbor — some  then  undressed  and  really  slept. 

No  one  slept  after  daybreak  next  morning,  Monday,  Apr.  8, 
if  they  had  slept  at  all;  and  upon  reaching  the  outer  deck,  they 
found  their  vessel  moored  to  a  quay,  in  what  they  learned  to  be 
Havre.  After  congratulating  one  another  over  the  escape  from 
torpedoing,  they  looked  around  and  at  once  saw  interesting  side- 
lights on  the  war.  ,  A  company  of  black  men  were  passing  under 


54  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

command  of  a  few  English  sergeants,  moving  deliberately  with 
long,  slow  steps — Kaffir  labor  troops,  they  were,  from  Africa. 
Yonder  were  yellow-skinned  men  with  eyes  set  at  an  angle,  busy 
unloading  a  vessel — Chinese  coolies.  Near  the  ''Antrim"  a  com- 
pany of  soldiers  were  resting  preparatory  to  entraining,  white  men 
with  odd-looking,  broad-brimmed  felt  hats — Australians.  Every- 
where was  to  be  seen  the  horizon-blue  uniform  of  the  French  sol- 
dier, on  guard  or  at  drill.  We  had  heard  that  this  was  a  world  war; 
now  the  new  arrivals  commenced  to  understand  the  truth  of  the 
report. 

Profiting  by  Southampton  experience,  the  regiment  disem- 
barked very  promptly — in  fact,  were  a  little  ahead  of  time;  and  were 
ready  to  move  even  before  the  command  was  given.  We  were  to 
find  food  far  more  plentiful  in  France  than  in  England;  but  the 
discovery  was  delayed  so  that  we  had  no  breakfast  until  lunch- 
time.  Havre  is  not  an  unattractive  city  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances; when,  however,  hungry  men  have  to  march  from  one 
end  of  it  to  the  other  "  and  then  some,"  up  hill  much  of  the  distance, 
they  would  not  be  in  an  appreciative  frame  of  mind.  Along  the 
way,  the  regiment  unexpectedly  happened  upon  the  temporary 
capital  of  Belgium  (in  Havre  during  the  war) ;  and  it  was  greatly 
to  Band-leader  Svensson's  credit  that  he  produced  the  Belgian 
national  anthem  so  promptly.  One  hope  spurred  the  men  on,  that 
they  should  at  last  find  a  real  American  camp,  and  in  that  hope  they 
plodded  ahead;  judge  their  disappointment  when,  after  more  than 
an  hour,  they  found  themselves  in  another  British  camp,  and  this 
even  worse  than  Romsey.  It  was  Camp  No.  1  on  the  heights  near 
Fort  St.  Andresse,  and  consisted  of  tents  only,  furnished  with  ab- 
solutely nothing  except  hard  board-floors.  Field  officers  and  some 
battery  commanders  slept  in  little  affairs  like  chicken-coops, 
while  the  others,  along  with  the  men,  slept  in  the  tents;  there  were 
no  bedding-rolls  available,  and  officers  drew  blankets  from  the 
camp  quartermaster — and  on  this  occasion  they  carefully  counted 
the  contents  of  the  bundles  for  which  they  were  signing.  The 
Americans  were  able  to  get  baths  at  Camp  No.  1,  and  appreciated 
the  privilege. 

Hungry  officers  discovered  "the  Limes,"  a  charming  French 
estaminet,  near  at  hand,  and  enjoyed  two  or  three  excellent  meals. 
But  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  the  favorite  oasis  in  the  camp  district; 
for  the  officers'  club  building,  being  under  British  management, 


In  England  and  Into  France  55 


Enthusiasm  for  the  '*  Y''  was  unbounded  amongst  many  of  the  55th 
officers,  to  judge  from  letters  written  at  this  time.  There  was  a 
British  canteen  in  camp;  but  all  the  first  day,  thru  some  mistake, 
this  dispenser  of  food  and  cheer  was  "out  of  limits"  for  the  en- 
listed men;  meanwhile  the  latter  depended  upon  the  British  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  and,  like  the  officers,  became  favorably  impressed  by  the 
service  rendered.  This  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  conducted  by  English 
ladies,  but  occupied  a  building  erected  with  American  money 
and  proved  to  be  the  very  first  American  ''hut'^  built  in  all  France. 
A  registry  book  was  found  in  the  officers'  section  showing  the  sig- 
natures of  Massachusetts  coast  artillery  officers  who  had  come  thru 
with  the  26th  Division  six  months  previously. 

At  Havre  the  55th  had  their  only  chance  to  fraternize  with 
British  soldiers.  A  prison  camp  stood  next  to  the  tents  occupied 
by  the  Americans,  where  German  captives  were  guarded  by 
Englishmen,  the  latter  being,  for  the  most  part,  veterans  of  the 
original  ''contemptible  little  army,"  which  helped  stop  the  first 
German  drive  in  1914.  At  the  officers'  club  were  a  number  of  Brit- 
ish officers  awaiting  transportation  home;  their  units  had  mostly 
been  cut  to  pieces  in  battle,  and  they  regaled  the  Americans  with 
lurid  tales,  told  with  the  utmost  cheerfulness.  Things  continued 
to  go  badly  on  the  Somme,  and  there  was  one  sad  day  wherein 
the  regiment  understood  it  was  to  be  made  into  infantry  or  field 
artillery  and  used  as  a  sacrifice  to  help  stop  Ludendorff.  At  Havre 
the  men  made  the  acquaintance  of  French  money  and  had  a  con- 
fused time  with  it;  one  man,  when  asked  how  much  his  cigarets 
cost  him,  replied,  "I  am  not  sure — but  it  was  one  shilling,  a  franc 
and  a  nickel." 

Even  tho  conditions  were  uncomfortable  at  Havre,  the  men 
were  a  little  reluctant  to  leave  when,  on  Apr.  9,  orders  were  re- 
ceived to  move;  however  hard  a  bed  may  be,  it  is  sure  to  feel  rest- 
ful about  reveille-time.  After  a  grand  "policing"  bee  which 
gained  for  the  55th  the  highest  commendation  of  the  British  com- 
manding officer  ("Tell  your  officers  for  me  that  this  is  the  best 
regiment,  English,  French  or  American,  that  has  passed  thru  this 
camp.  I  never  saw  things  left  in  better  shape.  The  discipline 
while  here  has  been  excellent.  Tell  them  goodbye  and  goodluck 
for  me.")  they  marched  down  to  the  railroad  station,  five  miles 
right  thru  Havre,  with  the  streets  lined  by  kindly  and  enthusiastic 


56  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Frenchmen.  There  was  no  mistaking  the  cordiality  of  the  greet- 
ing. The  men  had  eaten  and  consequently  did  not  suffer.  At  the 
station  came  the  regiment's  introduction  to  the  French  ''Side-door 
Pullman";  the  Americans  had  ridden  in  cold  cars  and  crowded 
cars,  but  they  were  now  to  ride,  for  the  very  first  time  in  their 
lives,  in  ordinary  freight-cars — no,  in  extraordinary  French  freight- 
cars.  "Hommes  40 — Chevaux  8,"  was  the  sign  on  the  side, 
translated  by  the  Americans  as  follows,  "It'll  hold  40  Tommies 
or  8  she  oxes."  At  once  the  loading-platform  began  to  resound  with 
the  cries  of  cattle,  "Baaa,"  **moo,"  while,  pointing  at  a  pile  of 
hay  nearby  the  men  would  remark,  ''There's  our  supper."  They 
left  the  station  in  the  afternoon  and  early  evening,  being  in  two 
sections,  commanded  respectively  by  the  Lieutenant  Colonel  and 
the  Colonel. 

For  an  adequate  description  of  such  travel,  it  is  needful  to  go 
outside  the  55th,  and  to  reproduce  Steuart  M.  Emery's  touching 
poem: 

"Roll,  roll,  roll,  over  the  rails  of  France, 

See  the  world  and  its  map  unfurled,  five  centimes  in  your  pants; 

What  a  noble  trip,  jolt  and  jog  and  jar. 

Forty  we,  with  Equipment  C,  in  one  flat-wheeled  box-car. 

"We  are  packed  by  hand. 

Shoved  aboard  in  'teens, 
Pour  a  little  oil  on  us 

And  we  would  be  sardines. 

"Rations?    Oo-la-la!  and  how  we  love  the  man 

Who  learned  how  to  intern  our  chow  in  a  cold  and  clammy  can. 

Beans  and  beef  and  beans,  beef  and  beans  and  beef, 

Willie  raw,  he  will  win  the  war,  take  in  your  belt  a  reef. 

"  Mess  kits  flown  the  coop. 

Cups  gone  up  the  spout; 
Use  your  thumbs  for  issue  forks 

And  pass  the  bull  about. 

"Hit  the  floor  for  bunk,  six  hommes  to  one  homme's  place; 
It's  no  fair  to  the  bottom  layer  to  kick  'em  in  the  face. 
Move  the  corp'ral's  feet  out  of  my  left  ear; 
Lay  off,  sarge,  you  are  much  too  large,  I'm  not  a  bedsack,  dear. 


In  England  and  Into  France  57 

''Lift  my  head  up,  please, 

From  this  bag  of  bread. 
Put  it  on  somebody's  chest. 

Then  I'll  sleep  like  the  dead. 

"Roll,  roll,  roll,  yammer  and  snore  and  fight. 

Traveling  zoo    the  whole   day   thru   and   bedlam   all   the   night. 

Three  days  in  the  cage,  going  from  hither  hence. 

Ain't  it  great  to  ride  by  freight  at  good  old  Unc's  expense?" 

No  excessive  amount  of  luxury  was  wasted  on  the  officers;  only 
two  coaches  were  provided  with  each  train.  While  the  Colonel, 
field  officers  and  part  of  their  staffs,  had  small  first-class  compart- 
ments, most  of  the  others  were  crowded  into  third-class  accommoda- 
tions, with  hard  seats  and  Httle  room.  By  the  second  night  the 
travelers  in  one  of  the  third-class  compartments  were  so  utterly 
weary  that  they  could  go  no  longer  without  sleep;  yet  they  were 
four  in  number  and  there  was  space  only  for  two  to  lie  on  the 
benches  and  a  third  on  the  floor.  "Let  me  arrange  it,"  said  the 
smallest  (and  most  ingenious)  of  the  party,  Lt.  Adolph  T.  Rose; 
"the  largest  man  sleep  on  the  floor  where  he  cannot  fall  on  anyone, 
the  other  two  take  the  two  seats."  There  was  no  argument,  and 
everyone  promptly  went  to  bed  as  directed,  remaining  awake  long 
enough,  however,  to  discover  how  the  manager  would  quarter  him- 
self. The  riddle  was  soon  solved,  as  he  ascended  nimbly  to  the 
over-head  haggage-rack  and  lay  down  to  pleasant  dreams,  declaring 
that  he  had  the  best  bunk  of  all.  Rain  was  falling  during  most  of  the 
journey  and  had  no  difficulty  getting  past  the  loose  windows  and 
thru  the  leaky  roof;  but  the  slicker,  wrapped  about  one's  head, 
enabled  the  sleeper  to  forget  and  rest. 

On  the  following  morning  the  trains  were  approaching  Paris, 
and  soon  passed  St.  Cyr,  the  French  West  Point.  They  were 
switched  from  the  Chemin  de  fer  d'Etat  to  the  outer  belt-line,  and 
stopped  at  Versailles,  where  the  men  had  their  introduction  to 
another  group  of  good  friends,  the  Red  Cross;  everyone  received 
candy  and  post-cards  from  these  worthy  ladies.  Constructively 
speaking,  the  regiment  were  here  "under  fire"  for  the  first  time,  as 
they  were  well  within  the  danger-zone  of  the  Germans'  long-ranged 
gun;  however,  they  did  not  give  this  danger  so  much  as  a  passing 
thought. 


68  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

On  Wednesday,  Apr.  10,  the  regiment  breakfasted  at  Versailles, 
ate  luncheon  at  Juvisy  (as  guests  of  the  Red  Cross),  and  then  were 
switched  on  to  the  P.  L.  M.  tracks,  rear-end  first,  and  started  south- 
ward; it  was  impossible  for  the  Red  Cross  to  keep  up  with  the  de- 
mand for  chocolate,  and  coffee  was  presently  substituted ;  and  when 
this  too  ran  short,  the  last-comers  were  given  cider.  All  this  time 
troop-trains  kept  passing  on  the  north-bound  track,  laden  with 
French  artillery  who  were  hastening  from  Italy  to  the  endangered 
Somme  front;  seeing  them  brought  home  to  the  Americans  more 
graphically  than  many  newspapers  how  acute  was  the  crisis.  This 
was  the  day  when  their  comrades  of  the  104th  Infantry  won  the 
regimental  croix  de  guerre  for  gallantry  at  the  Apremont  Wood. 
The  route  then  led  up  the  Seine  to  Corbeil,  and  up  the  Esonne 
and  across  country  to  Montargis,  where  supper  was  eaten,  and  the 
men  were  given  forty  minutes  to  get  hot  coffee  from  the  Red  Cross, 
wash  up,  and  storm  the  canteen  for  liver-sausage  and  other  deli- 
cacies. They  ''cleaned  out"  the  stock  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
tell  of  it.  Here  they  saw  the  first  American  locomotive  with  a  regu- 
lar "he  whistle,"  by  contrast  with  the  peanut-whistles  of  the 
French  engines;  and  felt  that  they  were  meeting  a  long-lost  friend. 
The  first  train  had  a  lively  experience  at  one  of  these  stopping 
places.  French  numerals  are  apt  all  to  sound  alike  to  an  American; 
and  thinking  the  stop  was  to  be  fifty  minutes,  instead  of  fifteen,  the 
ofl&cers  took  the  men  off  for  a  short  period  of  exercise.  At  the  end 
of  the  quarter-hour,  the  engineer  insisted  upon  starting,  passengers 
or  no  passengers;  and  so  the  Lieutenant  Colonel,  somewhat  later, 
had  to  hire  another  train,  and  chase  the  run-away  section  fifteen 
or  twenty  miles  down  the  line,  and  put  his  men  on  board,  where 
they  belonged. 

Thursday,  Apr.  11,  found  the  travelers  in  the  valley  of  the  Loire, 
with  breakfast  at  Saincaize,  near  Nevers;  then  after  washing  and 
stretching  themselves,  they  went  on  thru  the  Bourbonnais,  up  the 
valley  of  the  Allier,  one  of  France's  fairest  sections.  While  the 
country  was  not  so  well  trimmed  as  in  England,  the  landscape  pre- 
sented aspects  of  the  rarest  charm;  spring  was  at  hand  and  fields 
gleamed  with  the  freshest  green;  fruit  trees  were  in  blossom,  and 
the  pastures  were  filled  with  sleek,  white  cattle.  The  men  had  run 
out  of  rations  and  were  in  no  frame  of  mind  for  enjoying  scenery 
until  after  luncheon  at  St.  Germaine  des  Fosses;  but  the  oflScers 
jdelded  to  the  charm  of  white-walled,  red-roofed  villages  set  off  by 


In  England  and  Into  France  59 

contrast  with  occasional  thatch,  and  all  projected  against  a  back- 
ground of  intense  emerald,  with  magpies  in  the  trees,  and  poplars 
silhouetted  on  the  horizon,  and  closely  trimmed  willows  lining  each 
water-course.  Odd  sights  greeted  them  on  every  side;  small  boys 
did  a  rushing  business  filling  canteens  with  trin  rouge,  and  on  top  of 
that  clamored  for  ^^ souvenir ^^ ;  at  Moulins  they  enjoyed  watching 
the  French  method  of  switching  freight-cars  by  hitching  a  horse  to 
them  and  shouting,  ^'Allez!  eu!";  they  passed  a  wagon  laden  with 
willow-scions  which  were  to  be  used  for  rafia  or  chair-caning — driven 
by  a  woman,  and  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  white  cows.  At  Gannat  their 
train  was  passed  by  the  express  from  Paris  to  Clermont  Ferrand, 
filled  with  American  ofl&cers,  many  of  whom  were  destined  to  the 
55th  and  who  there  had  the  first  glimpse  of  their  future  command. 
They  finally  reached  their  destination,  Clermont  Ferrand,  about 
6  p.  M. ;  and  after  the  train  had  backed  up  and  down  thru  the  station 
a  few  times  and  exercized  the  peanut-whistle  on  its  locomotive  "to 
the  limit,"  it  stopped.  Lt.  Col.  Shedd's  section  had  already  arrived; 
and  its  passengers,  the  1st  Batl.,  were  well  on  their  way  northward  to 
Cebazat  for  the  night.  Col.  Sevier  gathered  the  ofl&cers  of  the  2d 
and  3d  BattaUons  around  him  and  made  a  complimentary  speech. 
He  told  of  the  splendid  commendations  which  the  regiment's  be- 
havior had  elicited  everywhere,  and  urged  all  to  keep  up  the  fine 
record.  SHckers  were  donned,  as  it  threatened  rain;  and  the  column 
started  for  Aubi^re,  a  small  village  one  and  three-quarter  miles 
south  of  the  city.  After  a  hard  trudge  over  a  hill,  they  came  upon  a 
few  twinkling  electric  lights  and  soon  found  themselves  in  the  village 
square,  the  Place  des  Ramacles.  It  had  been  intended  to  send  the 
3d  Batl.  elsewhere,  as  Aubi^re  was  suflSciently  large  for  only  a  single 
battaHon  and  regimental  Headquarters;  but  there  they  all  were,  in 
the  darkness  and  rain,  and  there  they  had  to  stay.  The  Maire 
proved  to  be  a  "trump"  and  did  his  utmost  to  meet  the  unexpected 
demands;  in  cooperation  with  Maj.  Skinner  and  Capt.  Bettcher,  he 
actually  billeted  1,100  men  in  the  village,  opening  the  school  build- 
ing and  causing  the  two  hotels,  the  "Caf^  d'Union"  and  the  "Caf6 
Frangais,"  to  receive  men  up  to  the  Hmit  of  their  capacity.  All 
ofl&cers  slept  in  the  bar-room  of  the  Caf^  d' Union,  and  during  the 
earlier  part  of  the  evening  had  a  hilarious,  glorious  time;  after  Capt. 
Ralph  W.  Wilson  had  succeeded  in  getting  their  bedding-rolls  to 
them,  they  were  ready  for  bed.  While  they  were  undressing,  the 
proprietress  returned  to  the  room  at  a  strategical  moment  ready  to 


60  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

dispense  more  vin;  the  situation  did  not  bother  her  in  the  least. 
The  men  were  strangers  in  a  strange  land  and  unable  to  find  one 
another  in  the  dark;  but  Maj.  Skinner  declared  that  many  of  them 
were  all  too  well  able  to  find  the  dispensatories  of  vin  rouge — he 
came  in  with  fiery  eye  and  an  armful  of  confiscated  bottles,  declar- 
ing, "They  are  all  over,  getting  wine/'  However,  all  soon  quieted 
down — and  slumber  ruled  the  scene. 

On  the  morning  of  Apr.  12,  the  problem  was  to  breakfast  the  men, 
with  all  rations  still  at  the  freight-yard  in  Clermont.  Whatever 
bread  the  people  of  Aubi^re  would  sell  was  purchased;  and  the 
proprietress  of  the  Caf6  was  engaged  to  make  coffee.  The  officers 
wondered  why  that  coffee  was  so  much  in  demand  and  why  the  men 
insisted  upon  having  a  second  and  third  cup,  until  they  discovered 
the  good  woman  puring  a  bottle  of  cognac  into  every  kettle  she 
boiled.  By  10  a.  m.  the  3d  Batl.  was  formed  in  the  square,  and,  with 
packs  and  other  baggage  on  their  shoulders,  they  soon  began  the 
short  march  to  their  own  proper  village,  Beaumont;  owing  to  the 
heat  and  their  fatigue,  they  made  hard  work  of  it,  but  finally  arrived 
and  settled  themselves.  One  man  of  Bat.  F  had  developed  measles 
and  was  quarantined,  but  otherwise  all  were  in  good  health  and 
spirits. 

All  along  their  journey  the  55th  had  heard  of  "the  big  American 
camp"  to  which  they  were  supposed  to  be  going,  and  conjured  up 
visions  of  barracks  and  baths  and  mess-halls  with  tables  groaning 
under  loads  of  American  viands;  there  actually  was  such  a  camp 
for  the  aviators  at  Aulnat,  a  few  miles  distant,  but  not  for  artil- 
lery. While  the  1st  Batl.  at  Cebazat,  the  2d  at  Aubiere  and  the 
3d  at  Beaumont,  with  regimental  Headquarters  at  Aubiere,  were 
far  from  realizing  their  dreams,  they  soon  found  themselves  thoroly 
at  home  amongst  kind  people;  and  they  rejoiced  to  be  at  the  end 
of  their  long  journey,  and  finally  in  France,  all  ready  for  training. 


CHAPTER  IV 
Training 

MNOELLET,  Maire  of  Aubiere,  continued  his  assist- 
ance until  the  billeting  was  completed,  and  made  it  pos- 
•  sible  for  the  Americans  finally  to  settle  themselves  with 
considerable  comfort;  as  the  process  was  the  same  in  all  three 
villages,  the  story  of  one  will  do  for  the  other  two.  The  Maire  was 
the  ''big  boss,"  and  his  word  was  final;  since  his  term  would  last  a 
year  or  two  longer,  and  he  was  not  particular  about  reelection  as 
he  served  without  pay,  he  could  be  pretty  independent.  It  soon 
came  to  be  understood  that  billeting  was  a  system  of  compulsory 
lodging  in  the  spare-rooms  and  lofts  of  the  village,  with  Uncle 
Sam  paying  the  bill  at  prescribed  rates — a  franc  per  day  for  an 
officer  and  a  sou  per  day  for  a  man.  The  system  is  discouraged  by 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  But  in  a  region  where  no 
uncultivated  fields  existed  and  where  tents  would  be  erected  at 
the  expense  of  more  essential  agriculture,  billeting  was  necessary; 
and  before  the  war  was  over,  the  55th  came  to  accept  the  system 
as  the  normal  one  and  tenting  as  the  exception. 

If  the  men  thought  they  were  going  into  real  houses,  they  found 
themselves  mistaken;  there  was  wide-eyed  wonder  and  consterna- 
tion when  the  first  squad  was  led  to  a  little  barn  contiguous  to  the 
dwelling  or  even  combined  with  it,  yet  distinct  from  it,  and  told 
to  quarter  themselves  there,  two  in  the  empty  stall  of  some  absent 
horse,  two  behind  a  wagon  and  four  up  in  the  loft.  And  in  every 
building  the  inhabitants  had  at  least  a  hundred  directions  they 
wanted  followed;  certain  articles  must  not  be  touched,  and  cer- 
tain parts  were  to  be  avoided  altogether.  The  billeting  officer 
had  to  be  a  patient  negotiator  and  a  good  pedestrian;  some  men 
were  settled  in  a  place,  and  then  the  next  place  proved  to  be  on 
the  other  side  of  town,  while  for  the  third  billet  he  must  walk  back 
to  his  starting  point.  A  question  would  be  put  to  the  Maire  thru 
an  interpreter  and  would  result  in  five  minutes'  jabbering  between 
the  two;  when  the  interpreter  was  asked  what  the  Maire  said,  he 
would  simply  answer,  "He  said  it  was  all  right."  The  French- 
man proved  to  be  more  sociable  than  business-like,  and  every 
question  was  a  subject  for  discussion,  preferably  over  a  table; 
and  there  was  no  use  trying  to  hurry. 


62  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Then  came  questions  about  drinking-water  and  latrines.  Beau- 
mont was  fortunate  in  having  water  from  the  mountain  streams, 
clear  and  cold,  piped  right  into  the  public  square;  but  the  troops 
in  all  the  towns  had  to  boil  or  chlorinate  their  drinking-fluid. 

^' Where  are  our  latrines?" 

''But,  Monsieur  le  Commandant,  we  hav'n't  any." 

''Well,  what  are  the  men  to  use?" 

"Why,"  exclaimed  the  Maire,  while  a  look  of  surprize  came  over 
his  face  that  such  a  question  should  be  asked,  "why,  you  can  use 
the  streets."  In  fact,  the  inhabitants  did  use  the  streets,  the  whole 
family  in  most  every  case;  and  the  few  toilets  in  town  were  under 
lock  and  key.  This  fairly  staggered  the  men;  and  thereafter  if 
you  saw  an  artilleryman  glancing  around  like  a  hunted  criminal 
and  trying  to  avoid  everybody,  the  last  thing  to  conclude  was  that 
he  was  escaping  from  justice;  it  was  a  case  of  trying  to  put  up  with 
French  conditions.  The  Colonel  commanded  the  regiment  to  be 
friendly  with  the  people  of  the  towns,  but  to  maintain  American 
standards  of  decency;  it  soon  proved  that  both  directions  would 
be  heartily  obeyed,  especially  the  second.  Of  course,  proper  facili- 
ties were  provided  as  soon  as  possible;  but  there  was  unbelievable 
red  tape;  this  district  was  under  civil,  not  military  control,  and 
not  a  spadeful  of  earth  could  be  turned  without  permission — while 
in  most  cases  the  owner  could  not  see  why  one  should  want  to  go 
to  so  much  trouble. 

There  were  leaky  roofs  to  contend  with,  for  the  rainy  season  was 
protracted  to  an  unduly  late  date  and  made  things  uncomfortable. 
And  worse  still  was  the  vermin;  streets  were  covered  ankle-deep 
with  filth,  while  the  barn-floor  was  nothing  more  or  less  than  the 
manure  and  straw  accumulations  of  bygone  years.  The  peasants 
objected  to  the  soldiers  sleeping  on  the  hay  in  their  lofts  for  fear 
of  injuring  it,  but  there  was  nowhere  else  to  sleep;  when  a  man 
was  bitten  by  the  vermin  downstairs  he  suffered  from  a  welt 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  across  and  over  a  quarter  of  an  inch  high. 
Occasionally  the  absent  horse  or  "jack"  returned  during  the  night 
and  walked  right  into  his  proper  quarters,  regardless  of  human 
occupancy.  There  was  not  a  single  bathtub  in  town,  and  until 
the  American  shower-baths  were  set  up,  the  soldiers  had  hard  times 
to  keep  clean;  Clermont  Ferrand  or  Royat  offered  the  only  possi- 
bility. 


Training  63 

When  it  came  to  billeting  the  officers,  the  Americans  learned 
a  funny  thing;  the  householder  would  show  a  room  containing  a 
big  bed  and  would  be  told  by  the  billeting  officer  that  it  would 
accommodate  two;  and  then  ensued  a  horrified  expression  and  long 
debate.  Finally  it  developed  that  these  people  thought  it  terrible 
scandal  for  two  men  to  sleep  together. 

At  first  the  men  sickened  from  improper  diet;  for  no  one  can 
live  and  thrive  on  "canned  Willie."  American  supplies  had  not 
yet  come,  due  to  a  mistake  of  the  railroad  transportation  officer 
at  La  Courtine;  and  the  French  were  not  allowed  to  sell  their 
provisions — they  could  only  loan  food  upon  condition  that  it  be 
returned  later  in  kind.  It  was  a  problem,  until  the  army  put  up 
telephones  of  their  own,  even  to  communicate  from  one  town  to 
another  or  with  the  brigade  Headquarters  at  Clermont;  French 
telephones  were  excellent,  with  pay-stations  in  every  post-office, 
but  the  operators  could  not  understand  English  and,  for  a  while, 
did  not  so  much  as  appreciate  that  the  Americans  were  there  and 
must  be  served.  The  sick  were  sent  to  a  French  military  hdpital 
(no  one  will  ever  forget  No.  78)  at  Montferrand,  were  well  nursed 
and,  according  to  French  standards,  well  fed;  but  the  Chaplain 
had  to  travel  thither  twice  or  thrice  per  week,  carrying  supple- 
mentary food-stuff — or  the  poor  fellows  would  have  starved. 

In  time  the  army  established  hospitals  of  their  own  at  Royat, 
and  a  bakery  in  Clermont,  and  substituted  vacant  houses  for  the 
worst  barns,  and  secured  abundant  American  provisions,  so  that 
everyone  was  quite  comfortable;  after  the  heavy  baggage  arrived 
the  men  were  well  equipped  in  essential  particulars.  But  one 
peril  persisted  until  the  end;  and  the  Americans  never  could  recon- 
cile themselves  to  it.  French  people  lived  in  the  second  story  of 
the  house  (with  live-stock  downstairs),  and  they  found  it  easier 
to  empty  slops  out  of  the  window  than  to  carry  the  vessels  down 
below,  usually  doing  it  without  first  assuring  themselves  whether 
or  not  the  street  beneath  contained  unsuspecting  passers-by. 

It  was  evident  that  the  55th  must  undertake  street-cleaning 
or  the  men  would  suffer  continued  discomfort  and  perhaps  con- 
tract disease;  the  *'C.  A.  C."  of  the  regimental  title  was  about 
to  receive  its  new,  French  significance,  "Cleans  All  Cities."  The 
townspeople  were  convened  in  a  public  meeting  and  agreed  to 
help,  loaning  all  the  shovels,  hoes,  brooms  and  carts  they  had; 
furthermore,  they  actually  did  some  digging  themselves  when  they 


64  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

came  to  understand  the  plan.  Manure  was  wealth  in  an  agri- 
cultural district  like  the  Auvergne  and  must  not  be  lost;  so  the 
American  trucks  gathered  it  all  up  and  moved  it  right  out  to  the 
fields  where  it  was  needed.  Meanwhile  the  people  tried  hard  to 
reform  their  habits  and  not  permit  more  to  accumulate. 

Daily  band-concerts  did  much  to  render  the  regiment  popular 
with  the  French;  and  Svensson's  Band  rendered  even  better 
music  than  they  had  in  months  previous.  The  Band  was  strength- 
ened by  transferring  to  it  men  of  musical  ability  from  other  sec- 
tions of  the  55th.  The  men  found  the  people  truly  kind-hearted; 
and  as  the  language  barrier  was  gradually  overcome,  relations 
between  the  inhabitants  and  the  sojourners  became  of  the  very 
best.  Our  sparring  exhibitions  set  all  the  French  boys  to  doing 
likewise;  while  the  movies  given  by  the  Chaplain  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
tents  or  out-of-doors,  drew  throngs  of  both  soldiers  and  civilians. 
The  custom  of  giving  movie  entertainments  out-of-doors,  in  the 
village  square,  with  the  machine  pointed  toward  some  building 
with  a  blank  wall,  startled  the  French,  but  was  accepted  as  one 
more  delightful  proof  that  the  American  was  tres  drdle — ^lantern- 
shows  could  not  start  until  long  after  9  p.  m.,  owing  to  the  pro- 
tracted daylight  in  such  a  northern  latitude.  Trouble  came  only 
in  entertainments  which  depended  for  interest  upon  hearing  and 
understanding  spoken  jokes;  for  the  French  could  not  grasp  the 
point  and  would  not  keep  still  enough  to  permit  others  to  enjoy 
the  fun.  Before  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  had  time  to  start  their  canteens, 
in  order  to  secure  a  supply  of  "sweets"  and  '^smokes"  for  the  men 
the  Chaplain  purchased  a  stock  of  such  commodities  from  the 
"  Y"  and  placed  them  on  sale.  At  this  time  criticism  (in  the  writer^s 
opinion,  always  groundless)  was  beginning  to  be  heard  in  certain 
quarters  that  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  "overcharged"  the  men;  altho  the 
Chaplain  put  his  chocolate  out  at  the  exact  figure  he  paid  for  it, 
he  was  directed  by  the  Commanding  Officer  not  to  charge  such 
high  prices — and  he  obediently  prepared  to  eat  the  entire  stock  in 
private  with  his  friends.  But  the  men  were  hungry  for  sweets 
and  would  pay  any  price  for  them  and  came  demanding  to  be  sup- 
plied; so  the  Chaplain  told  them  where  the  chocolate  was  stored, 
and  how  much  it  had  cost  him.  When,  a  few  hours  later,  he  glanced 
in  the  corner  where  the  package  lay,  he  was  struck  with  its  shrunken 
appearance,  and  upon  examination  discovered  that  the  sweets 
were  all  gone  and  in  place  of  them  he  found  a  neat  pile  of  francs, 


Training  65 

correct  to  a  centime.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  had  excellent  secretaries 
in  all  three  towns  after  a  little,  Messrs.  Thomas  Toy,  Gibson, 
Hoyt  Watson  and  David  Wilson,  all  under  the  general  supervision 
of  Dr.  Allan  MacNeil.  Mr.  Watson  later  (Aug.  26)  enlisted  in 
the  regiment  and  went  to  officers'  training-school,  and  earned  a 
commission.  These  gentlemen  would  do  anything  for  the  men; 
but  Mr.  Toy,  at  least,  could  never  reconcile  himself  to  the  inter- 
ruptions by  the  French  populace,  and  would  lecture  them  until 
he  grew  red  in  the  face.  His  French  auditors  listened  patiently, 
and  wondered  all  the  while  what  he  was  talking  about. 

An  extract  from  a  conte  in  "Le  Petit  Parisien^'  serves  to  reveal 
the  impression  which  the  55th  made  upon  the  villagers : 

"It  was  in  a  village  of  Auvergne  during  the  last  year  of  the  great 
war;  a  village  filled  with  cares  and  sorrows.  For  the  boys  were  at 
the  front,  or  prisoners  suffering  in  some  German  prison  camp,  or 
dead. 

''Weeks  passed  and  seasons  came  around  in  their  due  course, 
but  the  life  of  the  village  had  gradually  died  down  and  finally 
disappeared  altogether. 

''Nevertheless  it  was  spring;  it  had  come  suddenly,  chasing  the 
hoar  frost  which  silvered  the  branches  of  the  trees  and  replacing 
it  with  a  blanket  of  red  and  white  petals. 

"The  young  lasses  sighed  as  they  thought  of  the  walks  taken  in 
other  springtides  when  couples  were  wont  to  go  out  into  the  neigh- 
borhood to  pick  the  Easter  daisies. 

"And  in  this  village  where  for  four  long  years  nothing  of  joy 
or  happiness  had  been  known,  in  this  village  built  of  sombre  lava, 
and  rendered  yet  more  gloomy  by  continued  ill  tidings,  there  hap- 
pened an  unhoped  for,  an  unheard  of  event:  one  morning  there 
arrived  five  hundred  American  artillerists  to  be  lodged  with  the 
inhabitants. 

"At  once  it  was  goodbye  to  sorrow,  regrets  and  days  without 
hopes  as  time  passed!  The  youthful,  joyous  laughter  of  the  Yanks 
soon  found  an  echo;  and  the  daughters  of  the  village  began  to 
dream  of  khaki  uniforms  and  youthful  figures  with  clean-shaven  and 
bright-eyed  faces,  of  soldiers  with  leggings  faultlessly  wrapped 
over  brown  buskin  shoes.  Their  joy  knew  no  bounds  when  the 
Americans  gave  them  gum  to  chew." 

Men  were  encouraged  to  attend  the  village  churches  (Catholic) 
and  soon  came  to  do  so  in  large  numbers,  both  Catholics  and 
5 


66  The  Fify-fifih  Artillery 

Protestants  going;  indeed  the  edifices  were  crowded  to  the  doors, 
and  the  choirs  soon  received  additions  of  male  voices  from  the 
Americans.  The  curS  at  Aubi^re,  kind-hearted  old  Pere  Lavigne, 
insisted  upon  having  the  officers,  including  the  Protestant  Chaplain, 
sit  in  the  chancel,  and  made  heroic  efforts  to  give  his  notices  in 
English — the  Americans  were  thus  able  to  appreciate  how  their 
attempts  at  French  must  have  sounded  to  the  natives.  Regimental 
services  were  held  at  hours  so  as  not  to  conflict  with  the  churches. 
Col.  Sevier  gave  the  Chaplain  the  use  of  a  "Nash-Quad'^  truck  to 
convey  his  musicians  from  town  to  town  on  Sunday  in  connection 
with  services;  whatever  space  was  not  needed  for  the  church  party 
was  always  placed  at  the  disposal  of  other  soldiers.  Again  and 
again  did  the  Chaplain  furnish  transportation  for  the  ball  team  who 
were,  in  a  sense,  his  competitors;  and  several  times,  with  Col. 
Dusenbury's  connivance,  he  broke  the  rules  about  carrying  others 
than  soldiers,  and  accommodated  the  dear  old  French  count  at 
Cebazat,  by  transporting  select  visitors  from  Cebazat  to  the  nearest 
point  on  the  tram-way.  Church  in  the  tent  was  subject  to  interrup- 
tion, as  French  children,  in  wooden  sabots,  made  no  little  noise  on 
the  street  pavements  nearby;  while  now  and  then  the  tiny  French 
donkeys  would  express  friendly  interest,  as  they  passed,  by  letting 
out  the  distinctive  sound  of  such  beasts  in  overwhelming  volume. 
The  Chaplain  expressed  wonder,  under  these  circumstances,  as  to 
what  would  have  happened  "in  old  Jerusalem"  on  Palm  Sunday  if 
the  colt,  "the  foal  of  an  ass,"  had  lifted  up  its  voice — certainly 
the  children's  song  must  have  stopped;  for  vocal  competition 
would   have  been  impossible. 

At  first  the  regiment  borrowed  a  censor- 
stamp  from  good-natured  neighbors,  but 
on  Apr.  22,  stamp  "A  829"  was  received, 
and  its  coming  rendered  them  independent. 
Numbers  of  interned  Russians,  rem- 
nants of  the  Russian  divisions  which 
had  come  earlier  in  the  war  to  assist  the 
French  and  which  had  gone  to  pieces  when 
Russia  dropped  out  of  the  struggle,  were 
employed  on  the  farms  of  Aubi^re;  they  were  a  fairly  attractive  set 
of  men,  but  manifested  little  interest  in  current  events — until  the 
tide  of  victory  began  to  turn  in  July  and  made  them  hope  that  even 
Russia  might  gain  some  credit  from  all  her  earlier  sacrifices.    Stolid 


Training 


67 


Fbiends 


German  prisoners  at  work  in  the  fields  (not  unwilling  prisoners  for 
the  most  part,  but  rather  lazy)  helped  to  remind  the  Americans 
that  war  was  going  on;  while  throngs  of  demobilized  Itahan  soldiers 
and  French  women,  who  worked 
in  the  great  Michelin  rubber 
factory  at  Clermont  manufac- 
turing aeroplanes  and  who  slept 
in  the  surrounding  villages,  also 
prevented  forgetfulness.  The 
French  women,  naturally  most 
particular  about  their  personal 
appearance,  displayed  splendid 
patriotism  in  permitting  their 
hair  and  faces  to  become  stained 
a  hideous  yellow  from  the  fumes 
of  picric  acid — for  their  coun- 
try's sake.  Most  pathetic  of 
all  reminders  were  the  sad-faced 
refugees  from  northern  France, 
who,  like  the  troops,  were  bil- 
leted in  the  homes,  and  amongst  whom  were  many  small  children; 
while  the  women  sewed  and  made  uniforms,  the  children  attended 
school  and  played  in  the  streets,  not  appreciating  what  it  meant  to 
be  homeless  and  orphaned — all  except  the  little  one  who  was  lame 
for  life,  crippled  by  a  wanton  knife-stab  given  by  a  brutal  Hun 
soldier.  Lt.  Herbert  solicited  money  from  the  officers  to  ^' adopt''' 
one  such  French  orphan;  later  on.  Bat.  B  similarly  "adopted"  two 
others. 

By  a  War  Department  order  dated  Jan.  2, 1918,  the  metric  system 
had  been  adopted  for  our  army;  but  weights  and  measures  according 
to  the  metric  system  proved  to  be  somewhat  of  a  stumbHng-block 
to  the  55th.  The  '4iter"  was  so  nearly  the  American  quart  that  it 
was  readily  taken  as  a  substitute;  but  the  "kilometer"  and  the 
"kilogram"  proved  harder  to  comprehend.  Not  until  one  had 
driven  a  truck  from  Clermont  to  the  sea-coast  and  back  could  one 
visualize  a  kilometer,  and  then  only  in  terms  of  dust  and  mud  and 
bumps  and  breakdowns;  while  the  kilogram  was  permanently  elu- 
sive. A  major,  in  his  school  examination,  barely  caught  himself  in 
time  to  prevent  his  saying  that  a  certain  gun  "  had  a  range  of  16,000 
fciZometers" — more  than  one-third  the  distance  around  the  world. 


68  The  Fify-fifth  Artillery 

And  a  learned  medical  officer  gravely  announced,  one  day,  that  he 
had  discovered  some  French  scales  and  ascertained  that  his  weight 
was  "74  kilometers." 

Members  of  the  55th  rapidly  became  proficient  in  the  French 
language.  All  learned  to  say  and  understand  heaucoup,  and  toute 
de  suite,  as  those  were  the  matters  most  in  need  of  emphasis  when 
they  were  dealing  with  their  Allied  neighbors — heaucoup  indicated 
how  much  of  a  helping  they  desired  at  the  table;  and  the  other 
phrase  expressed  their  wish  to  hurry  up  the  slow-moving  peasant. 
They  learned  to  drive  horses  and  donkeys  with  allez!  and  eu!;  they 
never  learned  the  word  for  "whoa,"  as  they  found  the  French 
beasts  of  burden  always  ready  to  stop  without  command.  Mistakes 
would  be  made  at  times,  as  when  a  man  intended  to  ask  at  the  hotel 
for  a  meal,  and  was  ceremoniously  ushered  to  a  hed-room — he  had 
said,  "Je  desire  coucher,"  when  he  meant  manger.  It  was  never 
noted  that  an  American  soldier  had  the  slightest  difficulty  passing 
the  time  delightfully,  when  he  had  induced  a  mademoiselle  to  accept 
his  invitation  for  a  promenade  ce  soir.  In  fact  the  regiment  learned 
whatever  French  they  needed  for  the  maintenance  of  life  and  liberty 
and  for  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  Our  men  of  Canadian  ancestry 
proved  invaluable  as  interpreters  during  our  early  days  in  France. 

Knowledge  of  English  was  so  unusual  among  the  French  people 
that  one  did  not  expect  to  find  it.  A  major  and  two  captains  entered 
a  shop,  to  purchase  lace  for  the  dear  ones  at  home.  The  major 
turned  to  a  captain,  who  could  best  act  as  interpreter  for  the  party, 
and  said : 

"Ask  her  if  she  has  lace  to  sell.'^ 

^^  Madame,  avez-vous  des  dentelles  a  vendref" 

"Yes,  gentlemen,  any  of  these  stocks." 

This  was  in  English  from  the  proprietress.  Up  spake  the  major 
once  more: 

"Ask  her  what  this  lace  costs." 

**  Madame,  qu^est-ce  que  c^est  le  prix  de  cette  espece?" 

"That  is  fifteen  francs  per  meter." 

And  so  they  kept  it  up  for  several  minutes,  neither  American 
noticing  that  the  replies  did  not  need  to  be  translated;  nor  could 
they  understand  why  the  other  captain  was  in  convulsions  with 
laughter — and  he  was  enjoying  the  circus  so  much  that  he  would  not 
immediately  explain. 


Training  69 

Equipment  and  training  of  the  troops  went  steadily  on,  except 
as  there  were  delays  due  to  temporary  lack  of  materiel.  Overseas 
caps  were  issued,  and  were  uncomfortable  to  wear;  one's  ears  burned 
and  peeled  on  sunny  days,  while  the  first  shower  led  one  to  appre- 
ciate the  popular  nickname  of  the  new  head-dress,  "rain-in-the 
face."  Wrap-leggings  were  next  given  to  the  men,  an  addition  to 
their  wardrobe  which  was  both  comfortable  and  convenient ;  howbe- 
it  the  ''spirals"  had  a  habit  of  coming  down  at  inopportune  moments. 
Later  came  steel  helmets  and  rubber  gas-masks;  the  helmets  were 
heavy,  but  possessed  obvious  utility,  especially  on  a  rainy  day,  while 
the  masks  were  a  necessary  nuisance.  Military  strenuosity  mingled 
with  idyllic,  country  sleepiness  in  the  life  of  training  quarters;  prior 
to  the  arrival  of  the  guns,  the  men  took  long  hikes  over  the  country 
roads,  always  marching  in  column  of  twos  so  as  not  to  obstruct 
traffic;  and  they  sometimes  ascended  steep  mountain  sides.  The 
hills  around  Clermont  fairly  reeked  with  history;  when  a  battery 
had  climbed  as  high  as  they  could  up  the  precipitous  side  of  Gergovie 
and  were  forced  to  stop  for  breath,  they  readily  understood  why 
Julius  Caesar  had  to  give  it  up  in  the  year  52  B.  C,  and  allowed 
Vercingetorix  to  claim  the  first  and  only  victory  won  by  the  Gauls 
in  all  their  eight  years  of  warfare  (**De  Bello  Gallico"  ceased  to 
seem  like  an  exercise  in  Latin  prose  and  took  on  some  genuine  in- 
terest, when  studied  on  the  actual  battle-ground) ;  when  they  scram- 
bled up  Mt.  Rognon  (''Kidney  Mountain")  and  drank  from  the 
spring  at  the  summit  they  appreciated  the  acumen  of  the  robber 
barons  who,  in  1160,  selected  it  as  a  secure  base  of  operations,  and 
wondered  how  Richelieu  had  been  able  to  destroy  the  castle  in  1634. 
The  French  people  showed  so  much  more  pride  in  Vercingetorix 
than  in  Caesar  that  they  set  us  wondering  whether  they  were  cor- 
rectly classified  by  ethnologists  as  a  ''Latin  people" — in  their  in- 
terest they  seemed  wholly  "Celtic."  According  to  local  tradition, 
the  names  of  the  two  adjoining  villages,  Romagnat  and  Aubiere, 
constituted  an  etymological  monument  of  Roman  defeat ;  someone 
had  written  on  the  map  "Romani  hac  obire"  (here  the  Romans 
died),  and  the  words  presently  became  metamorphosed  into 
"Romagnat"  and  "Aubiere." 

While  the  French  "insides"  seemed  to  be  nearly  impervious  to 
the  influence  of  vin  rouge  ("pickled,"  as  it  were)  even  the  Gaul 
succumbed  at  times.  On  the  night  of  Ascension  Day,  a  citizen  of 
Aubiere  returned  home  from  Clermont  at  a  late  hour;  and  presently 


70  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

the  silence  of  the  neighborhood  was  disturbed  by  shrill  outcries  as  of 
women  in  distress.  An  officer  investigated,  for  fear  lest  some 
American  might  have  transgressed,  and  learned  that  the  uproar 
was  entirely  French  in  its  origin;  the  husband  and  father  was  so 
"stimulated*'  that  he  decided  to  administer  discipline  to  his  wife 
and  his  daughter,  and  began  the  process  by  locking  them  out  of 
doors.  Most  marvelous  to  tell,  the  American  officer  of  the  day  had 
courage  to  interfere  in  this  domestic  difficulty  and  compelled  the 
Frenchman  to  postpone  further  measures  until  the  morning. 

May  12  was  a  red-letter  day  for  the  regiment,  for  it  brought  them 
the  first  of  their  guns;  Uncle  Sam  bought  the  best  the  French  could 
manufacture,  and  intended  to  equip  all  the  batteries  in  full;  but  a 
fresh  German  push  on  the  Aisne  caused  the  French  to  divert  thirteen 
of  the  55th's  cannon  and  issue  the  same  to  the  French  artillery. 
More  came  along  presently  (July  11),  however;  and  the  regiment 
found  themselves  possessed  of  twenty-four  "155  Millimeter  Grande 
(High)  Puissance  (Powered)  Filloux  Rifles,"  so  called  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  shorter-ranged  howitzer,  and  named  after  the  ac- 
complished French  officer  who  invented  them.  The  gun,  in  traveling 
position,  weighed  14  tons;  in  firing  position  it  could  send  a  projectile 
weighing  98  pounds  a  distance  of  18  kilometers  under  favorable 
conditions,  or  11  miles.  Holt  tractors  weighing  10  tons  each  and 
possessing  75  horsepower  were  to  accompany  the  guns;  and  altho 
they  came  more  slowly,  twenty-four  of  them  were  eventually  issued. 
Some  members  of  the  55th  thought  it  a  mistake  to  give  the  clumsy 
Holt  tractor  to  the  regiment  instead  of  the  lighter  and  quicker 
French  Renault,  and  the  debate  continued  for  weeks — in  fact,  until 
they  reached  the  front  and  found  themselves  called  upon  again 
and  again  to  loan  their  Holts  for  the  purpose  of  hauling  helpless 
Renaults  out  of  the  deep  mud. 

Many  officers  attended  various  kinds  of  schools  during  the  months 
of  regimental  training,  thirty-six  going  to  the  Heavy  Artillery  School 
at  Mailly-le-Camp  on  Apr.  18,  for  a  two-month  course,  four  more 
following  them  later,  and  parties  of  two  or  three  attending  instruc- 
tion at  other  centers;  meanwhile  a  set  of  officers  fresh  from  training- 
school  were  assigned  to  the  regiment,  to  help  out.  Many  enlisted 
men  were  also  sent  away  for  special  instruction,  one  hundred  twenty 
going  to  tractor  school  in  a  single  day ;  and  their  places  were  filled  by 
drafts  from  other  regiments.  The  119th  and  the  147th  Regiments 
of  field  artillery  had  been  intended  as  motorized  units  and  had  later 


Training  71 

been  changed  to  horse-drawn;  their  wagoners,  trained  in  the  use  of 
the  tractor  and  truck,  were  now  transferred  to  the  55th — some  36 
Michigan  men  from  the  119th  and  55  or  more  South  Dakotans  from 
the  147th.  On  May  14  ''Organization  and  Training  Center  No.  3'' 
was  inaugurated  at  Clermont  Ferrand,  in  Napoleon's  old  artillery- 
barracks,  with  the  31st  Heavy  Artillery  Brigade  as  pupils;  and  soon 
most  of  the  officers  and  men  who  were  not  away  at  school  began  to 
study  there,  taking  courses  in  gunnery,  gas-engines,  repairing,  tele- 
phoning and  wireless  telegraphy.  No  men  had  yet  been  formally 
dropped  from  the  regiment,  either  for  sickness  or  absence  at  school, 
while  many  officers  and  men  had  been  attached;  and  the  command 
attained  its  highest  numbers  on  May  14,  with  a  total  of  93  officers 
and  1,871  enlisted  men;  of  these,  25  officers  and  307  men  were 
absent.  May  21  was  the  regiment's  first  pay-day  in  France — a 
great  relief  after  two  months  of  financial  stringency. 

At  Mailly  the  officers  were  not  far  from  the  front  and  carried  on 
their  studies  in  anticipation  of  possible  interruption;  the  Germans 
were  driving  along  the  Lys  at  the  outset  and,  on  May  27,  commenced 
operations  nearer  at  hand,  upon  the  Aisne.  Work  was  hard,  and 
continued  from  7  in  the  morning  until  late  at  night,  with  examina- 
tions every  other  day;  and  every  week,  men  who  did  not  keep  up 
their  marks  were  dropped.  Surveying  took  the  form  of  locating 
one's  exact  position  on  the  map,  and  of  determining  the  precise 
north;  gunnery  assumed  many  aspects  and  always  called  for  speed 
and  accuracy.  One  instructor  gave  them  solemn  warning:  "You 
gentlemen  must  remember  that  when  you  are  at  the  front,  you  have 
two  enemies ;  before  you  is  the  terrible  German,  but  if  you  are  not 
fast,  in  back  of  you,  far  worse,  your  Colonel."  Much  of  the  work 
was  in  mathematics,  and  was  very  hard  on  lead-pencils,  elbows  and 
trouser  seats;  it  was  difficult  for  men  not  specially  trained,  to  solve 
mathematical  problems,  and  those  more  experienced  would  help 
those  less  so.  One  officer  had  been  inducted  into  what,  to  him,  were 
the  mysteries  of  V^  (V  sub  zero),  and  started  back  to  his  own 
quarters  thinking  he  understood;  not  long  afterward,  he  reappeared 
at  his  friend's  door  with  a  funny  expression  on  his  face,  and  an- 
nounced, "Say,  I've  lost  it  again."  During  the  German  offensive 
along  the  Aisne,  the  officers  lived  in  daily  expectation  of  breaking 
up  their  school,  as  they  could  clearly  hear  the  gun-fire  at  the  north- 
ward; the  arrangements  which  they  then  perfected  for  speedy 
evacuation  but  never  put  into  effect,  were  later  dubbed  ''The  dis- 


72  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

graceful  retreat  from  Mailly."  They  stopped  studying  on  the  day 
the  Germans  cut  the  railroad  at  Chdteau-Thierry,  and  had  a  period 
of  pistol-practise;  and  one  lieutenant  was  credited  with  shooting  a 
cow — at  least  the  friendly  quadruped  kicked  up  her  legs  and  gal- 
loped off  the  field,  tail  in  the  air,  and  acted  as  if  she  were  unfavorably 
struck  by  the  marksmanship.  After  finishing  theoretical  work,  the 
officers  enjoyed  a  week  of  actual  war,  visiting  the  French  front  at 
Nancy  or  Verdun  and  becoming  familiar  with  the  sights  and  sounds 
of  battle.  Capt.  Edward  A.  Kircher  achieved  the  unique  distinction 
of  graduating  from  Mailly  ''with  honor.'' 

Gunnery  at  Mailly  was  almost  an  exact  science;  but  the  same 
pastime  under  battle  conditions  was  said  sometimes  to  work  out 
differently.  Certain  artillery  regiments  were  suspected  of  short-cut 
methods,  in  which  accuracy  was  sacrificed  to  ease  and  speed:  guns 
were  laid  by  compass  instead  of  by  mathematical  computation;  loca- 
tion was  accomplished  by  plotting  a  point  on  the  battle-map  instead 
of  by  observation  on  the  landscape;  ''shooting"  Solaris  and  Polaris 
was  omitted  because  of  impatience  over  French  climatic  conditions ; 
ranges  were  not  computed,  but  were  scaled  from  the  map;  and  the 
"temperature"  of  the  powder  represented  merely  a  guess  on  the 
part  of  some  officer.  These  methods  are  mentioned  so  as  to  afford 
a  standard  of  contrast ;  the  range  officers  of  the  55th  did  not  practise 
them.  We  always  worked  our  problems  mathematically  and  with 
absolute  precision;  and  proved  that  accuracy  could  be  maintained 
under  roughest  conditions  at  the  front.  Some  of  the  battery  com- 
manders were  so  speedy  in  logarithmic  problems  (especially  Capt. 
Dodge  of  Bat.  F)  that  they  never  felt  so  much  as  the  slightest  temp- 
tation to  deviate  from  the  strict  path. 

National  Guard  officers  felt  that  they  were  severely  dealt  with  at 
Mailly;  of  the  twenty-four  from  the  regiment  who  were  sent  there 
as  students,  seventeen  were  pronounced  deficient  in  mathematics 
and  dropped,  and  only  seven  remained  to  graduate.  They  were 
greeted  with  an  examination  at  the  outset,  of  which  they  had  little 
if  any  warning,  and  were  never  accorded  a  second  chance;  inasmuch, 
however,  as  only  one  Reserve  officer  failed  at  this  time  while  fif- 
teen National  Guardsmen  "fell  down,"  the  difference  of  result 
would  seem  to  spring  from  difference  in  their  previous  training. 
The  Guardsmen  were  mostly  older  men  who  had  perfected  them- 
selves thoroly  in  conventional  coast  artillery;  while  the  Reservists 
were  recent  graduates  of  scientific  schools  who  were  "up"  in 


ROTAT    AND    PUY    DE    DOME 


Village  Square  Where  Our  Field  Kitchens  Were  Established — Cebazat 


1 

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ii 

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Lrj 

1  ftlnli^  if  ^^^^^^^^^^^<^mmm 

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1^^^^ 

■'" "       IH^H^B 

I 

■   '^-■5'^3^P 

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f 

Fire  Drill — Cebazat 


C.  A.  C."  Mkans  "Cleanh  All  Cixitb" — Ckhazat 


Home  of  the  Third  Battalion,  Beaumont 


Battery  E  at  Chateau,  Beaumont 


Band-Concert  at  Beaumont 


\L 


iili^ffi 


iSife 


Clermont  Ferrand,  Place  de  Jaude 


55th  at  Clermont,  July  4,  1918 


Training  73 

mathematics.  A  General  Staff  officer,  a  sincere  friend  of  the  un- 
successful Guardsmen,  later  wrote:  *'I  did  not  know  about  the 
exam,  they  had  in  store  for  them,  but,  my  dear  friend,  c'est  la 
guerre,  and  nothing  but  being  able  to  deliver  the  goods  can  count. 
An  artilleryman  without  an  elementary  knowledge  of  math  is 
terribly  handicapped,  and  might  even  become  a  danger  to  his 
comrades  who  look  to  him  for  protection  at  a  critical  moment, 
because,  however  fine  a  fellow,  if  he  cannot  handle  his  guns  in  every 
particular  himself,  not  only  might  he  fail  to  function  but  lose  his 
guns  and  his  men  needlessly.  It  is  different  from  duty  at  a  sea- 
coast  fort,  where  everything  is  already  worked  out,  and  the  devices 
ready  to  be  used.  An  efficient  artilleryman  cannot  be  improvized, 
and  a  knowledge  of  math  is  just  as  necessary  to  him  in  his  work, 
as  is  law  to  the  lawyer.  Enough  of  the  sadness — they  are  all  good 
men  and  I  am  proud  of  them,  and  will  do  all  I  can  to  place  them 
where  they  can  function."  While  officers  elsewhere  in  the  A.  E.  F. 
who  failed  to  meet  some  test  were  '* reclassified,"  and  generally 
"sent  home,"  not  one  officer  of  the  55th  ever  suffered  this  fate; 
everyone  remained  with  the  regiment  or  was  given  some  responsible 
post  in  the  S.  0.  S.  or  in  the  aviation  branch;  and  everyone  ''made 
good." 

When  the  graduates  returned  from  Mailly,  they  raised  the  total 
number  of  officers  to  a  figure  far  in  excess  of  that  called  for  in ''tables 
of  organization";  and  some  had  to  give  way.  Meanwhile  promo- 
tion had  been  taking  place  amongst  the  officers  who  held  com- 
missions in  the  Regular  Army ;  and  the  regiment  had  a  considerable 
excess  of  field  officers.  A  ''shakeup"  ensued  with  the  result  that  Lt. 
Col.  Furnival  became  second  in  command,  Capt.  MacMullen  was 
Adjutant,  Majs.  Dusenbury,  C.  R.  Wilson  and  M.  S.  Holbrook  led 
the  three  battalions,  and  the  following  officers  commanded  batteries : 
Headquarters  Co.,  Capt.  Mitchell;  A,  Capt.  Mead;  B,  Capt.  Kim- 
ball; C,  Capt.  Bettcher;  D,  Capt.  Hirsch;  E,  Capt.  Shaffer;  F,  Capt. 
Dodge;  and  the  Supply  Co.,  Capt.  Stitt.  Capt.  W.  L.  Smith  was 
appointed  ''Operations  Officer."  Between  Apr.  20  and  June  10, 
the  tables  of  organization  were  themselves  in  a  state  of  change; 
it  had  been  decided  that  coast  artillerymen  could  not  hold  field 
artillery  ratings,  such  as  color  sergeant,  regimental  supply  sergeant, 
chief  mechanic  or  saddler,  and  for  a  while  it  was  uncertain  whether 
"wagoners"  were  allowed.  Finally  the  regiment  were  conceded 
three  extra  sergeant  majors,  junior  grade,   and   123  wagoners, 


74  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

instead  of  the  158  they  formerly  had.  For  a  while  they  had  two 
complete  ordnance  detachments,  one  selected  from  their  own  ranks, 
and  the  other  assigned  to  them  from  the  ordnance  school;  but 
eventually  the  latter  group  "lost  out"  and  left  the  55th. 

Training  grew  more  intense,  and  everyone  was  deeply  interested ; 
the  officers  practised  miniature  battle-exercises  at  the  "terrain 
board,"  where  an  unused  vineyard  had  been  metamorphosed  into 
a  miniature  battle-field,  with  the  battery  commander  snugly 
seated  in  one  of  the  little  brick  wine-cellars  which  honeycomb 
central  France.  By  a  complete  telephonic  system  the  battery 
commander  "fired  his  guns";  while  the  instructor  awarded  him 
hits  or  misses  according  to  his  deserts.  Practise  gun-emplace- 
ments were  dug,  practise  camouflage  was  set  up,  and  frequent 
gas-drill  took  place;  men  were  impressed  with  the  necessity  for 
speed  in  adjusting  the  gas-mask  by  the  warning  that,  at  the  front, 
mankind  was  divided  into  only  two  classes,  "the  quick  and  the 
dead."  After  taking  long  marches  or  playing  leap-frog  while  wear- 
ing the  masks,  some  of  the  men  wondered  whether  death  by  phos- 
gene gas  could  be  much  worse  than  near-death  by  smothering. 
If  a  soldier  ever  became  noisy  and  disturbed  his  comrades,  he  was 
effectually  silenced  by  a  threat  on  the  part  of  the  provost  ser- 
geant :  "Another  word  and  on  goes  your  gas-mask." 

One  officer,  on  his  return  from  Mailly,  had  an  adventure  unusual 
in  France.  His  former  billet  had  been  awarded  to  someone  else 
during  his  absence;  and  he,  with  a  comrade,  was  assigned  to  a 
house  not  previously  used  by  Americans.  About  midnight  his 
friend  was  awakened  by  a  summons,  "Come  and  see  them  drill," 
and  wondered  what  was  happening.  French  beds  were  of  the  four- 
poster  variety  and  about  four  feet  thick,  with  canopies,  and  were 
generally  quite  clean — however  dirty  the  courtyards  and  halls 
might  be  thru  which  one  reached  them.  This  was  an  exception. 
"Look  at  them  drill,  squads  and  platoons  of  them,  all  in  action 
together,"  and  sure  enough,  there  they  were  by  the  dozen;  then 
gazing  at  the  speaker's  face,  his  comrade  saw  that  it  was  swollen 
from  many  bites,  as  tho  wasps  had  been  stinging  it.  The  balance 
of  the  night  was  spent  with  two  officers  in  one  bed — and  that, 
the  clean  bed. 

Clermont  and  the  neighboring  watering-place,  Roy  at,  greatly 
interested  the  regiment.  Clermont  was  filled  with  memories  of 
the  Crusades  (which,  in  1095,  were  there  started  by  Pope  Urban 


Training 


75 


II  and  Peter  the  Hermit),  of  Marshal  Turenne,  of  Pascal  (who 
there  perfected  the  barometer),  of  Marshal  Dessaix,  who  *' never 
taught  his  drummer  to  sound  retreat,"  and  of  Latour  d'Auvergne, 
"the  first  grenadier  of  France'';  sometimes  the  men  confused  things, 
as  when  they  associated  Caesar  with  the  Crusades,  but  all  in  all. 


r — m'~ 
\  M 


Scale:  3i  miles  =  1  inch 

Training  Area,  Target  Range,  Caesar's  Battle-Field 


E.  A.  Kircher 


they  felt  that  it  was  a  good  country  for  training  purposes  and 
undoubtedly  they  derived  inspiration  from  the  past.  Royat 
(the  Rubeacum  or  "Red  place"  of  the  Romans)  was  yet  more 
interesting,  as  there  they  found  mammoth  French  hotels  trans- 
formed into  American  hospitals,  with  pretty  nurses,  and  after 
the  battle  of  Belleau  Wood,  early  in  June,  with  wounded  dough- 
boys and  marines  filling  the  wards.    The  55th  subscribed  liberally 


76  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

to  buy  luxuries  for  these  patients.  From  Royat  they  could  climb 
the  magnificent  volcanic  cone  of  Puy  de  Dome  just  as  Americans 
ascend  Pike's  Peak  from  Manitou;  and  they  found  it  a  "man's  job" 
to  reach  the  top,  nearly  a  mile  above  sea-level  and  only  one  thou- 
sand feet  less  above  the  city.  It  was  easily  understood  why  this 
had  been  a  sacred  mountain  since  earliest  Druid  times,  and  why  the 
Roman  "Mercury,"  messenger  of  the  gods,  had  been  believed  to 
use  it  as  his  "jumping-off  place"  on  his  journeys  heavenward; 
the  clean-cut  cone  towered  aloft  like  a  cathedral  spire,  and  the 
cloud-cap  crowned  the  summit  with  mystery.  By  trolley,  the  oldest 
trolley  in  France  (whose  cars  looked  their  antiquity),  or  on  foot, 
the  Americans  reached  Royat  and  there  climbed,  or  bathed,  or 
ate  and  drank.  The  bathing  establishment  consisted  of  rooms, 
each  containing  a  concrete  tub  sunken  in  the  floor  and  filled  with 
constantly  flowing  carbonated  water;  the  danger  was,  unless  the 
bather  exercised  great  care,  that  a  mademoiselle  would  present 
herself  and  insist  upon  performing  a  massage  operation  according 
to  French  custom,  instead  of  permitting  the  soldier  to  dry  himself 
in  American  fashion.  Eating  at  Royat  meant  "ice-cream";  and 
the  town  was  the  only  spot  for  miles  around  where  such  a  dainty 
could  be  procured.  Suppose  it  did  cost  four  francs  per  plate,  and 
that  there  was  but  little  ice-cream — it  was  good,  with  a  heap  of 
whipped  cream  on  it,  and  the  whole  covered  with  wild  strawber- 
ries and  surrounded  by  a  rich  wine-sauce. 

Village  laundresses  were  accustomed  to  foregather  by  the  brook- 
side  near  our  billets,  washing  the  soiled  garments  in  cold,  flowing 
water,  and  beating  them  out  with  wooden  paddles  on  the  flat 
stones;  and  soon  the  American  soldiers  were  forced  to  adopt  the 
same  laundry  methods.  With  the  two  sets  of  washers  intermingled, 
it  became  the  custom  to  carry  on  conversation  over  one  another's 
heads,  one  group  using  French  and  the  other  English;  and  much 
fun  was  poked  and  many  a  joke  cracked  by  each  party  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  other.  The  language  was  usually  very  open  and  plain 
and  the  humor  rich,  rare  and  racy,  neither  side  understanding  the 
other;  but  it  was  interesting  to  think  what  would  have  happened 
if,  some  day,  all  had  suddenly  received  the  gift  of  "understanding 
tongues." 

Formal  guard-mount  was  held,  for  a  while,  in  the  village  square; 
and  it  was  on  such  an  occasion  that  Gen.  Gatchell  happened  to 
pay  his  first  visit  to  the  town.    But  the  villagers  could  not  under- 


Training  77 

stand  why  they  should  not  stop  their  donkey-carts  exactly  at  the 
reviewing-point;  and  after  the  review  of  the  guard  had  been  halted 
two  or  three  times  to  shoo  such  invaders  away,  it  came  to  be  felt 
that  the  ceremony  was  scarcely  worth  the  effort  it  cost. 

Fire-drill  was  a  "comic-opera";  the  entire  fire-apparatus  of 
Aubiere  consisted  of  two  hand-pumps  fed  by  buckets,  which 
forced  water  into  hose,  not  like  the  American  but  requiring  to 
have  its  sections  coupled  together  in  definite  sequence  or  not  at 
all.  The  town  was  divided  into  fire-zones  and  the  alarm  was  blown. 
While  the  Maire  had  given  his  permission,  he  had  neglected  to 
notify  the  fire-marshal;  and  the  latter  delayed  proceedings  until 
he  secured  authority  to  let  the  soldiers  have  the  engines.  Then 
he  decided  that  he,  as  fire-marshal,  must  help  put  out  the  imaginary 
fire;  so  donning  a  big  red  sash  and  a  cocked  hat,  he  ran  about, 
accompanied  by  his  bugler  who  was  vigorously  sounding  a  big 
French  trumpet;  and  the  more  the  crowd  applauded  his  laudable 
efforts,  the  more  noise  he  made.  One  day  when  we  repeated  the 
drill,  a  section  of  hose  was  missing — and  "the  fire"  had  to  be 
postponed. 

Memorial  Day  was  observed  by  holding  a  public  meeting  in  the 
big  tent,  with  an  oration  by  Dr.  Allan  MacNeil  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.; 
after  the  men  had  done  their  full  duty  for  the  dead,  they  "piled 
into"  trucks  and  spent  the  afternoon  in  sports  at  the  Aulnat 
aviation  camp. 

Some  two  hundred  casuals,  who  had  been  left  behind  at  Camp 
Merritt  or  elsewhere,  arrived  about  this  time  and  reported  an 
exciting  voyage;  their  transport,  the  "Pocahontas"  (formerly 
the  German  liner,  "Princess  Irene"),  was  part  of  a  large  convoy, 
and,  on  Apr.  27,  had  run  squarely  into  and  rammed  and  sunk  a 
German  submarine.  The  latter  had  emerged  directly  in  front  of 
her. 

An  aged  refugee  from  Alsace  visited  town  every  morning  to  sell 
papers,  at  first  offering  only  the  French  "Moniteur,"  but  later 
stocking  the  "Herald"  and  "Mail"  and  "Tribune"  and  the 
"Stars  and  Stripes."  Besides  selling  his  papers,  he  was  accustomed 
to  make  eloquent  speeches  in  French;  and  the  boys,  without 
understanding  a  word  of  what  he  said,  would  cheer  and  applaud 
to  the  echo.  Men  who  could  understand  French  testified  that 
his  orations  were  really  good;  and  presently  he  came  to  be  known 
as  "the  Demosthenes  of  the  55th."    The  day  Col.  Sevier  asked  him 


78  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

for  his  photograph  was  the  proudest  one  in  his  entire  life.  When 
the  Allied  army  succeeded  finally  in  stopping  the  enemy  push  on 
June  5,  and  again  when  the  counter-offensive  began  on  July  18, 
there  were  enthusiastic  celebrations  in  Clermont  and  the  sur- 
rounding towns;  the  Frenchmen  had  not  been  able  to  conceal 
their  anxiety  lest  Paris,  the  gem  of  their  land,  should  fall — and 
in  that  event  the  French  heart  would  have  broken.  When,  by 
American  assistance,  Paris  was  freed  from  further  danger,  the 
grateful  patriots  could  not  do  enough  to  show  appreciation;  every- 
thing in  the  city,  especially  everything  drinkable,  was  offered 
''without  money  and  without  price."  In  each  instance,  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  "Demosthenes"  delivered  a  supreme  masterpiece. 

Two  funerals  occurred  to  sadden  the  hearts  of  the  regiment  dur- 
ing their  training  period:  Paul  J.  Trembley's  of  Bat.  D  in  Aubi^re, 
June  14;  and  Daniel  E.  Lynch's  of  Bat.  F  in  Beaumont,  July  13; 
and  these  afforded  the  French  folk  a  chance  to  show  their  kindness 
and  sympathy.  The  obsequies,  in  the  village  churches,  were 
community  affairs;  the  women  brought  most  beautiful  bouquets 
such  as  only  they  know  how  to  make,  and  with  tears  explained 
that  their  own  sons  lay  buried  near  the  Somme,  and  they  felt  that 
these  stalwart  young  Americans  had  become  their  very  own. 
Twice  did  the  solemn  cortege  wind  its  way  to  the  burial  ground 
in  Clermont,  thru  fields  ablaze  with  poppies.  Lynch  had  always 
been  a  pessimist  concerning  his  fate,  and  again  and  again  had  told 
his  comrades  that  he  expected  the  worst. 

Both  British  and  French  joined  with  the  Americans  in  observ- 
ing Independence  Day;  and  the  London  "Mail"  made  an  editorial 
concession  of  epochal  significance,  that  "The  American  Revolution 
had  been  a  triumph  of  right  over  might,  the  right  for  which  British 
and  Americans  now  fought  side  by  side."  There  was  a  morning 
parade  at  Clermont,  followed  in  the  afternoon  by  sports.  Col. 
Sevier  commanded  the  31st  Brigade;  and  Gen.  Gatchell,  together 
with  the  French  commander,  acted  as  reviewing  officer.  The  men 
wore  steel  helmets  (in  a  ceremony)  for  the  first  time;  as  everyone 
was  in  the  pink  of  condition,  and  with  the  streets  thronged  with 
enthusiastic  French  spectators  the  event  was  a  memorable  one. 
The  color-bearer  completed  his  march  carrying  two  enormous 
bouquets,  which  French  girls  had  thrust  into  his  hands;  as,  how- 
ever, Sgt.  Varner  was  one  of  the  handsomest  men  in  the  55th,  it  is 
possible  that  the  tribute  was  as  much  personal  as  it  was  National. 


Training  79 

Le  Maire  Noellet  prepared  the  Aubiere  mind  for  this  event  by  issu- 
ing his  most  grandiloquent  proclamation ;  the  quaint  old  town-crier 
usually  had  the  duty  of  announcing  that  someone  proposed  to  sell 
a  pig,  or  that  someone  had  lost  a  rooster,  but  on  July  4th,  after  a 
few  preliminary  flams  on  the  drum  and  the  inevitable  ^^  AvisV^ 
came  this: 

''Today,  July  4th,  is  the  National  holiday  of  the  United  States 
which  we  must  celebrate  on  a  par  with  July  14th. 

"The  Maire,  on  this  solemn  day,  is  happy  to  salute,  on  behalf 
of  the  inhabitants  of  this  town,  the  noble  American  nation  for 
the  generous  and  unselfish  aid  which  it  is  bringing  to  us  in  this 
world  conflict  for  the  triumph  of  right  and  the  liberty  of  Democracy. 

"Let  our  gratitude  rise  to  the  heights  of  their  sacrifices,  let  us 
show  the  brave  soldiers  of  the  great  sister  Republic  that  to  us 
they  are  not  only  allies  and  friends,  but  brothers,  with  the  same 
aspirations,  soon  perhaps  the  same  griefs,  but  nevertheless  main- 
taining the  same  hopes." 

President  Woodrow  Wilson  eloquently  described  the  impression 
which  the  Americans'  parade  made  upon  the  French: 

"Anxious  men  and  women,  leading  spirits  of  France,  attended 
the  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July  out  of  generous  courtesy — 
with  no  heart  for  festivity,  little  zest  for  hope.  But  they  came 
away  with  something  new  at  their  hearts;  they  have  themselves 
told  us  so. 

"The  mere  sight  of  our  men — of  their  vigor,  of  the  confidence 
that  showed  itself  in  every  member  of  their  stalwart  figures  and 
every  turn  of  their  swinging  march,  in  their  steady  comprehending 
eyes  and  easy  discipline,  in  the  indomitable  air  that  added  spirit  to 
everything  they  did,  made  everyone  who  saw  them  that  memora- 
ble day  realize  that  something  had  happened  that  was  much  more 
than  a  mere  incident  in  the  fighting,  something  very  different 
from  the  mere  arrival  of  fresh  troops. 

"A  great  moral  force  had  flung  itself  into  the  struggle.  The 
fine  physical  force  of  those  spirited  men  spoke  of  something  more 
than  bodily  vigor.  They  carried  the  great  ideals  of  a  free  people 
at  their  hearts  and  with  that  vision  were  unconquerable.  Their 
very  presence  brought  reassurance;  their  fighting  made  victory 
certain. 

"They  were  the  sort  of  men  America  would  wish  to  be  repre- 
sented by,  the  sort  of  men  every  American  would  wish  to  claim  as 


80  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

fellow-countrymen  and  comrades  in  a  great  cause.  They  were 
terrible  in  battle  and  gentle  and  helpful  out  of  it,  remembering  the 
mothers  and  the  sisters,  the  wives  and  the  little  children  at  home. 
They  were  free  men  under  arms,  not  forgetting  their  ideals  of  duty 
in  the  midst  of  tasks  of  violence.  I  am  proud  to  have  had  the 
privilege  of  being  associated  with  them  and  of  calling  myself  their 
leader. 

"But  I  speak  now  of  what  they  meant  to  the  men  by  whose 
sides  they  fought  and  to  the  people  with  whom  they  mingled  with 
such  utter  simplicity,  as  friends  who  asked  only  to  be  of  service. 
They  were  for  all  the  visible  embodiment  of  America.  What  they 
did  made  America  and  all  that  she  stood  for  a  living  reality 
in  the  thoughts  not  only  of  the  people  of  France,  but  also  of 
tens  of  millions  of  men  and  women  thruout  all  the  toiling  nations 
of  a  world  standing  everywhere  in  peril  of  its  freedom  and  of  the 
loss  of  everything  it  held  dear;  in  deadly  fear  that  its  bonds  were 
never  to  be  loosed,  its  hopes  forever  to  be  mocked  and  disap- 
pointed.'' 

On  July  14,  when  the  Americans  returned  the  compliment  and 
helped  the  French  to  celebrate  "Bastille  Day,"  we  were  approach- 
ing the  moment  of  our  departure,  and  many  of  the  batteries 
were  engaged  in  target-practise;  so  that  the  31st  Brigade  could 
send  only  a  single  provisional  battalion  to  parade  with  our  Allies. 
Bat.  F  was  appropriately  selected  to  represent  the  55th  in  the 
provisional  unit;  the  language  of  the  song, 

"When  we  turn  out,  the  boys  all  shout, 
^Here  come  the  Boston  Fusiliers.' 

With  heads  erect  and  step  perfect 

We  drive  the  people  into  cheers. 

For  we're  in  style,  we're  stylish  all  the  while. 

As  we  march  by  the  ladies,  they  all  smile. 

Thruout  the  land,  there's  none  so  grand 

As  the  Boston  Fusiliers," 

waited  until  "Bastille  Day"  in  the  heart  of  France  for  its  fulfil- 
ment. And  Sgt.  Varner  again  brought  away  a  bouquet;  he  always 
was  a  winner. 

Meanwhile  Col.  Sevier  enlisted  the  resources  of  the  55th  in  a 
work  of  genuine  charity;  he  sent  Svensson's  band  and  a  party  of 
workers  from  the  Headquarters  Co.  on  a  journey  of  forty  miles  to 


Gas-mask  Drill 


Gas-Alarm 


Coupling  Gun  to  Holt  Tractor 


Renault  Tractor  Hauling  Gun  into  Position 


A  75  Holt  Tractor  on  the  Road  with  a  155  G.  P.  F. 


Getting  Off  the  Koau  by   Use  ok  Tackle 


Training  81 

Chavagniac,  where  some  generous  American  ladies  were  opening 
an  orphanage  for  French  children  who  were  victims  of  the  war. 
While  the  workers  were  busy  improving  the  water-supply  of  the 
chateau,  the  Band  entertained  eighty-six  little  Frenchmen  with 
its  sweetest  music.  The  reader  will  understand  the  significance  of 
this  episode  at  Chavagniac  when  he  is  informed  that  the  chateau  was 
the  birthplace  of  no  less  a  personage  than  Marie  Jean  Paul  Roch 
Yves  Gilbert  Motier  Marquis  de  Lafayette;  the  American  Ex- 
peditionary Force  represented  an  attempt  on  America's  part  to 
"return"  Lafayette's  visit;  thirteen  months  previously  Gen. 
Pershing  had  delivered  his  tremendously  simple  oration,  "Well, 
Lafayette,  here  we  are!"  (at  least,  Foch  asserted  that  Pershing 
thus  spake);  but  it  remained  for  the  55th  Artillery  to  press  the 
return  visit  home  to  the  hero's  very  birth-place.  Organizations 
now  in  the  membership  of  the  55tL  had  paraded  before  the  living 
Lafayette  at  Boston  in  1784  and  1824;  it  was  fitting  that  a  regiment 
consisting  largely  of  National  Guardsmen  should  be  the  one  to 
make  this  pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  of  the  National  Guard's  father. 
And  as  evidence  that  the  Lafayette  stock  had  not  fallen  away,  let 
it  be  mentioned  that  the  hero's  descendant,  Gilbert,  fighting  as  a 
soldier  in  the  French  Army,  had  shortly  before  been  awarded  the 
croix  de  guerre  for  gallantry  on  the  Somme,  and  was  to  fall  in 
battle  the  ensuing  November.  These  words  were  written  even  as 
the  bells  and  whistles  of  the  American  city  poclaimed  Germany's 
signature  to  the  treaty  of  Versailles,  and  the  end  of  the  war;  the 
aUiance  which  was  sealed  by  such  evidence  of  mutual  affection  on 
July  14,  1918,  produced  its  inevitable  consequence  in  the  victorious 
peace  of  June  28,  1919. 

Bastille  Day  fell  on  Sunday;  and  Chaplain  Cutler  had  the  honor 
to  preach  in  the  Anglican  Church  connected  with  the  Royat 
hospital.  At  the  tiny  organ  was  seated  a  man  in  the  uniform  of  a 
U.  S.  Marine  Corps  sergeant;  and  when  service  began,  he  soon 
showed  himself  a  master  musician.  When  the  Chaplain  inquired 
who  the  organist  was,  he  was  informed  that  the  marine  was  none 
other  than  the  artist  who,  in  civil  life,  presided  over  the  giant 
organ  in  the  cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Divine,  New  York  City; 
such  men  did  America  send  overseas  to  fight  her  battles. 

There  were  plenty  of  fireworks  at  Clermont  on  July  19,  when  a 
train  loaded  with  gasolene,  ammunition  and  high  explosives 
caught  fire  just  outside  the  station,  and  blew  up,  one  car  at  a 
6 


82  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

time,  with  detonations  which  could  be  heard  for  miles,  accompanied 
by  blinding  glare.  The  fire  raged  for  seven  or  eight  hours  before 
it  was  finally  extinguished;  and  railroad  trafl&c  was  interrupted 
for  several  days.  It  was  a  hot  and  oppressive  night,  and  one 
captain  had  retired  even  without  the  customary  garb  de  nuitj 
trusting  merely  to  his  bed-sheet  for  comfort.  Having  recently 
returned  from  the  Verdun  front,  he  was  not  disturbed  when  the 
explosions  began  at  2  a.  m.;  his  first  sense  of  something  wrong 
was  when  he  became  subconsciously  aware  of  a  ghost-like  figure 
moaning  and  fluttering  around  the  room.  He  came  to  his  senses 
with  a  start,  when  the  apparition,  after  an  especially  loud  detona- 
tion, rushed  to  the  bed  and,  grasping  the  sheet,  began  to  cry  hysteri- 
cally, *'0  Captain,  help!  help!  the  boches!  the  aviators!  they  will 
kill  all  of  us!  Get  your  soldiers  and  save  us."  All  this  was  in 
French,  but  the  captain  was  a  bilinguist.  It  was  none  other  than 
his  landlord's  daughter.  Mademoiselle  Celie,  clad  in  her  nightie; 
and  as  she  tried  to  expedite  matters  by  tugging  at  the  sheet,  the 
captain  realized  that  whatever  might  or  might  not  be  happening 
outside,  he  was  in  danger  of  disaster  anyway.  When  he  declined 
to  get  up  and  held  desperately  to  the  sheet,  she  suddenly  grew  wild 
with  anger  and  gave  him  the  worst  tongue-lashing  for  cowardice 
he  ever  expected  to  hear;  then  with  one  or  two  withering  parting 
shots  she  sailed  out  to  the  street  below,  where  all  the  population, 
men,  women,  children  and  dogs,  were  gathered  in  an  excited 
throng.  Investigation  proved  that  there  was  nothing  for  the 
soldiers  to  do. 

Between  July  8  and  30  the  regiment  engaged  in  target-practise, 
the  1st  Batl.  shooting  July  8  to  17;  the  3d,  July  26  to  29th;  and  the 
2d,  July  27  to  30,  while  battalions  of  the  56th  Artillery  practised  in 
between  these  dates;  as  the  artillery  were  needed  for  the  Aisne- 
Marne  Offensive  the  latter  part  of  July,  two  battalions  had  only 
three  days  each  on  the  range — the  3d  Batl.  was  limited  to  thirty- 
three  shots  and  the  2d  to  thirteen.  In  connection  with  the  1st 
Batl.'s  movement  thru  Clermont  and  Beaumont  toward  the 
mountains,  the  regiment  received  their  first  object-lesson  in  the 
possibilities  of  highway-blockade,  which  were  always  latent  in 
the  Holt  tractor  and  the  G.  P.  F.  gun;  a  temporarily  disabled  Holt 
succeeded  in  completely  tying  up  all  tram  and  wagon  traffic  between 
Clermont  and  Beaumont  during  the  morning  of  July  8 — happily 
the  road  was  not  one  of  military  importance.     Up  the  batteries 


Training  83 

journeyed  high  into  the  mountain  chain  of  the  Puys,  and  estab- 
lished themselves  on  a  level  plain  amongst  beautiful  hills  more 
than  3,000  feet  above  the  sea;  having  their  rest-camp  and  truck- 
station  at  Randanne  and  the  gun-positions  at  the  Puy  de  la  Vache. 
All  around  were  extinct  volcanoes  with  red,  brown  and  purple 
rocks  and  ashes,  while  round  about  grew  scrub  trees  and  heather, 
as  in  the  Scottish  Highlands.  The  batteries  did  excellent  work, 
considering  that  their  guns  were  new  to  them;  but  the  telephone 
line-men  encountered  unexpected  difficulties.  Their  wires  were 
mysteriously  broken,  and  no  explanation  was  forthcoming  until  the 
cows  and  sheep  of  the  country  were  discovered  placidly  munching 
the  lines  and  evidently  enjoying  the  salt  solution  which  formed 
part  of  the  insulation.  It  seemed  romantic  to  sleep  on  a  bed  of  live 
heather;  but  when  one  was  awakened  about  midnight  by  the 
extreme  cold  of  that  high  altitude  and  realized  that  there  were  no 
more  blankets  available,  one  ceased  to  appreciate  romance.  Sun- 
day, July  28,  brought  many  loyal  French  friends  as  visitors  at 
Randanne;  since  gasolene  was  unobtainable  for  civilians  and  the 
automobile  consequently  out  of  commission,  these  elderly  men 
and  young  ladies  actually  tramped  all  the  distance,  nine  miles 
each  way,  from  Aubi^re  and  Beaumont,  and  back  again — a  proof 
of  their  affection  and  also  of  French  pedestrian  powers. 

One  of  the  pleasant  memories  of  Aubiere  was  associated  with  the 
officers'  mess.  There  never  was  a  better  cook  than  Madame 
Chauzodont;  and  the  whole  battalion  were  on  such  friendly  terms 
with  one  another  that  they  spent  many  a  happy  hour  at  the  table 
together.  And  then,  too,  "Brighteyes"  was  very  much  of  a  factor 
in  making  the  mess  a  success.  "Brighteyes,"  or  Mademoiselle 
Catherine,  was  the  waitress;  and  she  never  could  ask  you  whether 
you  wanted  more  potatoes,  or  butter,  or  coffee,  without  chucking 
you  under  the  chin,  twisting  your  ear,  or  showing  some  other  sign 
of  affection.  It  was  not  so  embarrassing  when  the  whole  table  was 
filled,  for  she  distributed  her  attentions  impartially,  but  when  you 
came  in  late  and  had  to  eat  by  yourself,  you  were  at  her  mercy.  She 
would  slip  into  the  garden  and  come  back  with  a  handful  of  daisies, 
and  begin  plucking  petals:  ^'He  loves  me"  (all  in  French);  "Not 
very  much";  "A  little  more";  ''With  ardor";  ''Passionately"; 
"Not  at  all."  It  was  not  so  bad  if  she  had  to  stop  on  the  first  few, 
or  the  last;  but  if  she  came  out  with  "Ardeur''  or  '' Passionellement,'' 
it  was  high  time  to  take  vigorous  measures  of  self-defense.    "  Bright- 


84  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

eyes"  was  always  appealing  to  the  officers  to  go  promenading,  with- 
out any  response.  Altogether  the  mess  would  not  have  seemed  itself 
without  the  presence  of  this  enjoyable  little  pest.  Her  heart  was 
broken  when,  finally,  she  was  not  invited  to  be  a  marraine  (sponsor) 
to  one  of  the  guns  at  the  gun-christening;  and  she  left  her  employ- 
ment. 

Pleasant  and  unpleasant  events,  both,  marked  training  days. 
Bat.  C  held  a  most  enjoyable  smoker  on  July  6,  on  the  occasion  of 
presenting  warrants  to  newly  appointed  non-commissioned  officers, 
hoping  to  make  it  the  beginning  of  a  long  series  of  such  social  func- 
tions; but  the  regiment  did  not  take  up  the  matter  of  social  enter- 
tainment seriously  until  they  were  back  in  the  United  States  after 
the  war,  and  found  themselves  with  balances  in  the  battery  treasur- 
ies waiting  to  be  expended.  On  July  25  came  one  of  the  exceedingly 
rare  occasions  when  punishment  had  to  be  administered  in  public; 
the  culprit,  who  had  been  convicted  of  striking  a  French  woman,  was 
sentenced,  in  the  presence  of  the  entire  battalion,  to  a  year  at  hard 
labor,  and  dishonorable  discharge  at  the  close  thereof — it  seemed 
more  pitiable  to  some,  at  least,  because  the  woman  had  herself  sold 
the  man  the  *' booze"  with  which  to  ''finish  off"  his  "jag";  and 
everyone  felt  the  justice  of  Col.  Sevier's  subsequent  act  in  declaring 
the  woman^s  estaminet  to  be  "out  of  limits." 

So  successful  was  the  first  Bat.  C  smoker  that  the  battery  com- 
mander, Lt.  Holton,  proposed  holding  another  on  July  22  and 
letting  it  take  the  form  of  a  "christening  of  the  guns,"  according  to 
usage  prevalent  in  the  French  army.  Other  officers  of  the  2d  Batl. 
entered  heartily  into  the  plan  and  suggested  throwing  the  exercises 
open  to  their  good  friends  of  Aubi^re,  so  that  all  might  participate 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  evening.  Then  Monsieur  le  Maire  Noellet 
requested  that  the  communal  government  be  allowed  to  share  in  the 
arrangements  and  render  the  event  a  genuine  French  f^te.  Since 
the  Maire  and  his  associates  bore  a  major  share  of  the  burdens  and 
by  their  generous  cooperation  assured  the  success  of  the  christening, 
it  is  appropriate  to  let  M.  Noellet's  friend  describe  what  took  place 
— the  quotation  is  from  "  Le  Moniteur  du  Puy  de  Dome,"  of  July  23. 

A  FRANCO-AMERICAN  CEREMONY  AT  AUBlfcRE — THE 
BAPTISM  OF  THE  GUNS 

"  The  sun  is  casting  its  last  gold  and  silver  rays — over  there  on  the 
horizon  behind  the  majestic  chain  of  hills  it  is  sinking,  yet  prolonging 


Training  85 

the  while  the  cajolery  of  its  caresses  on  the  hill  slopes  with  a  delicate 
tint  of  green.  Light  clouds,  tinged  pink,  slowly  cross  the  sky.  The 
air  is  still  and  the  countryside  reposes  secure  in  this  splendid  setting 
where  one  takes  to  dreaming  and  thinking  in  contrast  of  other  coun- 
trysides of  France  where  both  man  and  nature  bear  with  stoical 
fortitude  the  terrible  sufferings  of  the  struggle  for  liberty. 

"On  a  gently  rising  slope  there  is  to  be  seen  a  spectacle  that  one 
would  not  have  expected  to  find  in  this  secure  locality,  in  this  en- 
chanting corner  of  our  beautiful  Province  of  Auvergne:  eight  big 
guns,  aligned,  shining  and  with  their  limbers  giving  an  impression  of 
strength  that  is  sure  of  itself.  These  guns  have  an  atmosphere  of 
pride  about  them.  Their  power,  couched  behind  their  gracefulness, 
enhances  the  more  the  silence  which  to  our  senses  forbodes  ill  for  the 
enemy  over  yonder. 

"They're  not  firing  as  yet.  Wonderful  bouquets  of  flowers  seem 
to  impregnate  them  with  their  perfumed  sweetness.  French  and 
American  flags  drape  them,  presaging  their  coming  victories.  The 
cannoniers  remain  immobile  nearby  and  a  whole  battalion  in  khaki 
is  rendering  them  homage. 

"  The  guns  are  about  to  be  christened.  Their  gracious  sponsors, 
dainty  girls  of  fair  Auvergne,  have  been  gallantly  escorted  from  the 
Town  Hall  by  American  ofl&cers  who  were  received  by  the  genial  and 
distinguished  Maire,  M.  Noellet.  The  latter  and  the  American 
Colonel,  Col.  Granville  Sevier,  have  arranged  this  ceremony.  Both 
French  and  Yanks  (Yanks  being  the  name  by  which  the  Sammies 
now  desire  to  be  called)  have  taken  part  in  the  affair  with  boundless 
enthusiasm. 

"Cordial  and  beaming,  M.  Noellet  heads  the  procession  with  the 
Colonel.  The  eight  sponsors  appear  charmed  with  their  escorts. 
Do  the  ladies  speak  English?  Do  the  Americans  speak  French? 
It  is  not  deemed  discreet  to  disturb  them  with  an  inquiry  which 
would  be  inopportune.  Our  indiscretion  will  but  extend  to  the  state- 
ment that  ever  so  often  the  corner  of  a  little  red-bound  dictionary 
can  be  discerned  but  that  there  seems  to  be  no  lack  of  conversation. 
In  these  times  a  dictionary  is  as  much  an  assistance  as  the  portrait 
of  a  true  friend,  in  that  one  consults  it  only  when  in  difficult  straits, 
reflecting  it  when  all  goes  well. 

"Among  those  present  are  the  old  town  wags,  all  done  up  in 
their  best  bibs  and  tuckers.  They  gaze  on  wide-eyed;  for  some 
time  past  they  have  been  witnessing  things  that  are  strangely 


86  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

new  to  them.  Then  there  are  the  inevitable  urchins,  who,  happy 
as  larks,  run  ahead  and  fill  up  the  front  row  seats.  They  are  so 
glad  to  see  their  American  friends  with  whom  they  talk  and  play 
ball  and  go  walking  hand  in  hand  every  day. 

"The  American  band  plays  the  'Marseillaise.^  Each  sponsor 
mounts  her  gun  carriage,  her  gracious  feminine  frailty  for  the 
moment  dominating  the  powerful  gun.  The  guns,  named  (Bat. 
C)  Hunter,  Aubiere,  Helen,  Winifred,  (Bat.  D)  Avenger,  Civ- 
ilizer.  Liberty  and  Yankee  Boy  are  baptised  respectively  by  the 
Misses  Plancre,  Cassiere,  Bayle,  Bouchet,  Noellet  (the  Mayor's 
daughter),  Gidon,  Bernard,  and  Aubeny. 

''The  baptismal  water  is  sparkling  champagne  of  France.  While 
the  soldiers  present  arms,  the  sponsors  each  take  a  beautifully 
gilded  bottle  of  the  intoxicating  nectar  and  break  it  against  their 
guns.  A  popping  sound,  then  a  white  froth  scintillates  and  crepi- 
tates swiftly.  The  champagne  trickles  over  the  gun  and  the  spon- 
sor pronounces  the  baptismal  sacrament:  'I  christen  thee,'  etc. 
The  sun  is  now  casting  its  very  last  gleams  prior  to  illuminating 
with  its  victorious  light  of  a  new  day  these  weapons  which  it  has 
just  seen  born,  these  weapons  which  now  have  a  personality  of 
their  own.    After  that  the  Chaplain  prays. 

"The  Battalion  breaks  ranks.  The  sponsors  are  introduced  to 
the  soldiers  of  the  various  batteries.  The  men,  courteously  thought- 
ful, present  each  sponsor  with  a  magnificent  bouquet  of  flowers 
which,  smiling  and  joyful,  those  young  ladies  blushingly  accept. 
Later  how  they  will  be  interested  in  the  exploits  of  these  batteries! 
The  Yankees  will  write  to  them  and  will  give  them  news  of  their 
new  god-children;  they'll  hardly  dare  speak  of  themselves  but  the 
girls  will  not  forget  them. 

"Regretfully  we  leave  the  glorious  countryside — yet  a  very 
cordial  reception  awaits  the  ofl&cers  of  the  Allied  Armies  in  the 
drawing  rooms  of  the  Town  Hall.  This  time  the  champagne  bottles 
are  not  broken,  but  neither  do  they  remain  hidden.  Champagne 
runs,  but  not  over  cold  steel.  It  gilds  the  toasts  which  are  to  fol- 
low the  eloquent  address  by  M.  Noellet.  While  lack  of  space  alone 
prevents  our  quoting  in  full,  we  cannot  refrain  from  citing  a  por- 
tion: 

"  *Last  year  when  at  President  Wilson's  call  you  came  and  ranged 
yourselves  beside  us,  little  did  I  think  that  some  day  Aubiere 
would  have  the  signal  honor  of  receiving  some  American  soldiers. 


Training  87 

However,  it  has  come  to  pass,  and,  as  General  Pershing  in  one 
phrase  so  aptly  expressed  it,  **  There  you  are/' 

'"There  you  are;  to  defend  right,  justice,  honor  and  respect 
for  treaties  and  sacred  promises. 

"  There  you  are,  without  any  desire  for  conquest,  for  indemnity 
or  for  other  compensation. 

"'There  you  are,  asking  but  one  thing  only: — to  fight  at  our 
side  and  to  defend  at  the  peril  of  your  lives  the  descendants  of 
those  few  thousand  Frenchmen  who,  with  Lafayette,  went  to  your 
aid  in  the  struggle  for  liberty. 

"'I  cannot  find  words  adequately  to  express  our  gratitude. 
My  heart  strings  grip,  for,  like  all  French  families  who  have  dear 
ones  in  the  war,  I  feel  the  priceless  valor  of  your  act  in  coming  to 
the  assistance  of  our  noble  Poilus  who  for  nearly  four  years  have 
paid  with  countless  acts  of  heroism  and  self-sacrifice. 

"'You  are  worthy  of  them  as  they  are  worthy  of  you,  and  we 
thank  you  most  sincerely  in  our  gratitude.' 

"This  address  was  excellently  translated  into  English  by  an 
officer  of  the  Allied  Armies,  and  the  American  Commanding 
Officer  in  reply  expresses  how  grateful  the  Americans  were  to  have 
been  received  at  Aubi^re  with  such  kindness. 

"  Glasses  are  again  drained.  Dictionaries,  poor  forgotten  helpers, 
remain  pocketed.  Champagne,  the  marvellous  professor,  has 
proven  a  better  interpreter. 

"It  is  ten  o'clock.  The  town  streets,  ordinarily  so  quiet  at  that 
hour  of  the  night  are  very  animated.  The  'Y'  hut  is  still  open. 
Through  the  delicious  night  air  we  return  home  in  a  fast  moving 
car,  the  glare  of  whose  headUghts  reveals  groups  of  Yankees  tell- 
ing the  town  belles  of  their  homes  in  the  States,  and  of  the  pleasure 
the  touching  baptismal  ceremony  has  given  them.  They  will 
long  remember  Auvergne's  frank  yet  delicate  hospitality." 

By  way  of  marked  exception  to  the  prevailing  rule,  the  Maire 
permitted  the  officers  and  marraines  to  end  the  christening  festivity 
with  an  informal  dance — an  exception,  it  was,  because  the  French 
ladies  denied  themselves  this  favorite  pastime,  as  an  expression 
of  their  patriotic  devotion  during  the  dreadful  years  of  the  war; 
and  only  the  near  departure  of  their  American  friends  was  held  to 
justify  a  suspension  of  the  rule. 

It  was  July  30  when  the  3d  Batl.  christened  their  guns,  and  made 
the  occasion  one  of  greater  hilarity  than  did  their  comrades  of  the 


88  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

2d  Batl.    The  1st  Batl.  also  complied  with  the  gracious  custom;  and 
when  the  guns  went  into  action  each  of  the  twenty-four  had  a  name, 
duly  and  properly  "wished  on  to  it."    Here  was  the  list: 
Bat.  A      1.     Allie,  Sgt.  Damon 

2.  Amy,  Sgt.  Johns 

3.  Floss,  Sgt.  Armitage 

4.  Avenger,  Sgt.  Herd 
Bat.  B      1.     Madeline,  Sgt.  Hannay 

2.  Lt.  Reed,  Sgt.  Stewart 

3.  Roaring  Bertha,  Sgt.  Mahoney 

4.  Boston  Baby,  Cpl.  Harrigan 
Bat.  C      1.  Hunter,  Sgt.  Logsdon 

2.  Aubiere,  Sgt.  Graham 

3.  Helen,  Sgt.  Farnast 

4.  Winifred,  Sgt.  Widdowfield 
Bat.  D     1.  Avenger,  Sgt.  Bradshaw 

2.  Civilizer,  Sgt.  Millette,  Cpl.  Brenneke 

3.  Liberty,  Sgt.  Baggesen,  Sgt.  Donahue 

4.  Yankee  Boy,  Sgt.  Gustafson 
Bat.  E      1.  Lucky  Evelyn,  Sgt.  McVetty 

2.  Little  Rhody,  Sgt.  Riback 

3.  Ella  G.,  Sgt.  Woolhouse,  Sgt.  Eaton 

4.  Edith  Esther,  Sgt.  Bartlett 
Bat.  F      1.  Strong,  Sgt.  Martin 

2.  Jiggerboffus,  Sgt.  Woods 

3.  Alky,  Sgt.  Jordan 

4.  Midget,  Sgt.  Dustin 

The  "Edith  Esther"  was  named  after  Capt.  Shaffer^s  wife,  and 
other  guns  commemorated  sweethearts  or  wives;  the  "Jiggerboffus" 
perpetuated  a  mystic  pass-word  which  had  been  in  vogue  at  Fort 
Strong;  "Alky"  was  an  abbreviation  of  Alcohol,  and  was  accom- 
panied by  the  device  of  a  bottle  marked  "Jordan's  XXXX"  and  a 
pair  of  dice  which  showed  "seven-up";  the  "Midget"  was  a  refer- 
ence to  the  small  men  who  made  up  the  gun-crew. 

The  champagne  used  to  christen  the  guns  was  bought  by  each 
battery  separately,  with  money  especially  collected  for  that  purpose. 
One  battery  made  the  mistake  of  taking  this  money  into  the  com- 
pany fund  and  then  paying  for  the  champagne  from  the  company 
fund.  When  the  general  inspector  came  along,  he  nearly  had  a  fit; 
buying  champagne  from  the  company  fund  to  break  over  a  gun!! 


Chateau  Chavagniac— Star  Marks  Lafayette's 
Birth-Room 


Our  Band  at  Chavagniac,  July  14,  1918 


■^^  -  ^: ' 


i^iffiTi^iiC 

WB 

^n 

MJWPI     ^  - 

The  Christening.     Each  of  the  Girl  Sponsors  Mounted  on  a  Gun  Is  Equipped 

WITH  A  Bottle  of  Champagne.     Future  Champagne  is  Shown 

Growing  in  the  Rear 


The  Christening,   Reenacted  the   Next  Morning 


The  Christening  Party:  Col.  Granville  Sevier;  Maj.  Cary  Wilson,  Com- 
manding THE  2d  Batl.;  Capt.  E.  A.  Kircher,  Battalion  Adjutant;  the  "Mar- 
rains"  OF  THE  Guns,  Their  Escorts,  and  Officials,  Including  M.  Noellet,  the 
Mayor,  Capt.  C.  W.  Bettcher,  Commanding  Bat.  C,  and  Capt.  George  Hirsch, 
Commanding  Bat.  D 


A  G.  p.  F.  Regiment  Parked 


Enjoying  a  Kail  Move,  La  Ferte 


Training  89 

For  a  while  every  organization  had  its  company  fund  records 
examined  for  "champagne  christening  expenditures." 

From  the  letters  which  men  were  writing  it  was  possible  to  learn 
their  frank  opinion  of  France — and  no  Americans  ever  had  a  better 
chance  to  see  the  "Frenchman  as  he  really  is"  than  did  the  55th 
in  the  Auvergne.  The  French  were  always  and  unreservedly  recog- 
nized as  gallant  soldiers.  American  appreciation  of  the  land  was 
progressive;  earlier  letters  asserted,  "It  is  the  land  of  vin  rouge j 
manure  piles  and  hard  work,"  where  "the  water  is  so  bad  that  the 
French  do  not  even  use  it  for  bathing."  After  the  first  month  a 
more  sympathetic  understanding  was  manifest;  and  facts  were 
noted  as  follows :  "  The  French  women  of  every  class  know  how  to 
arrange  their  hair  becomingly."  "  The  welcome  of  the  French  makes 
us  forget  all  other  welcomes — they  appreciate  our  coming,  not  to 
boss  or  take  their  hard-earned  glory,  but  to  aid."  "There  seems 
to  be  an  absence  of  babies."  "They  dilute  their  vin  rouge  to  the 
extreme."  "  A  pathetic  attempt  is  made  by  the  feminine  population 
to  live  up  to  their  reputation  of  having  small  feet."  "To  a  vast 
extent  women  monopolize  manual  labor."  "It  is  a  tacit  but  uni- 
versal decision  of  the  feminine  mind  that,  after  the  war,  their  only 
hope  of  marriage  lies  in  getting  an  American  soldier."  "Extremes 
of  civilization  and  barbarism  are  in  juxtaposition;  the  aeroplane 
flies  over  the  ox-cart,  the  electric  light  illuminates  the  town-crier, 
clothes  are  of  the  latest  fashion  and  yet  washing  is  done  with  a  slap- 
stick on  a  flat  stone  in  the  brook."  Finally  the  Americans  came  to 
recognize  as  the  outstanding  French  trait,  kindness  of  heart,  the 
quality  which  makes  a  man  glad  to  do  favors ;  providing  the  Yanks 
were  courteous  and  friendly  in  preferring  requests,  nothing  was  con- 
sidered too  good  for  them  by  their  generous  AlHes.  When  the  regi- 
ment reached  the  end  of  their  three-month  introduction  to  France, 
the  boys  were  on  the  best  of  terms  with  the  villagers,  so  that  they 
later  received  many  gifts  and  numerous  letters;  and  for  the  most 
part,  the  latter  ended  with  words  which  carried  a  conviction  of  the 
writer's  sincerity,  "I  pray  you  be  assured  of  the  pleasure  which  we 
would  have  in  seeing  you  again."  The  55th  received  from  their 
French  friends  the  "farewell"  which  they  did  not  get  when  leaving 
Boston.  On  Oct.  12,  while  fighting  at  the  Bois  de  Beuge,  the  2d 
Batl.  were  to  experience  the  additional  happiness  of  receiving  word 
that  the  Commune  of  Aubi^re  had  sent  them  a  "friendship  pen- 
nant," which  in  sunshine  or  amid  strife  would  testify  to  the  friendly 


90  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

feeling  of  their  former  neighbors.    Unfortunately,  this  gift  was  lost 
in  the  mail. 

The  hour  of  departure  was  at  hand.  All  materiel  and  property- 
had  long  since  been  marked  in  bold  characters  with  the  numeral, 
"55";  a  new  order  was  issued  on  July  25,  rescinding  this  rule,  and 
directing  that  every  reference  to  "55"  be  removed,  and  that  a  "red 
triangle"  (the  mark  of  the  first  regiment  in  the  31st  Brigade)  be 
substituted.  No  German  intelligence  officer  was  to  ascertain  our 
identity  from  an  inspection  of  our  baggage.  Suppose  this  "totem" 
should  be  mistaken  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  emblem,  as  later  happened, 
while  officers  were  visiting  Verdun;  it  was  the  stronger  proof  that 
the  camouflage  device  was  a  success.  Now  the  Place  des  Ramacles 
was  crowded  with  vehicles — guns,  10-ton  tractors,  trucks,  automo- 
biles and  side-cars.  Col.  Howell  had  been  correct  when  he  stated 
that  the  55th  would  be  the  most  expensively  equipped  regiment 
ever  organized  in  America;  according  to  the  equipment  manual,  they 
were  entitled  to  395  units  of  transportation,  of  which  359  were 
motor,  and  of  them,  195  were  trucks.  While  not  more  than  one- 
third  of  this  allowance  had  been  received  as  yet,  the  square  was 
nevertheless  crowded.  The  guns  departed  first,  moving  down  to 
the  O.  &  T.  Center,  where  they  were  given  a  coat  of  camouflage 
paint.  Pere  Lavigne,  ever  a  kind  friend  to  the  55th,  had  provided 
each  soldier  of  the  2d  Batl.,  Catholic  or  Protestant  alike,  with  a 
scapular  medal  from  the  miracle-working  shrine  of  Notre  Dame  du 
Port  in  Clermont — as  "Our  Lady"  was  believed  to  have  preserved 
the  city  from  injury  at  the  hands  of  the  Saracen  in  the  8th  century, 
the  good  priest  prayed  that  she  might  likewise  safeguard  Clermont's 
American  friends  from  the  Hun  in  the  20th  century.  The  people 
of  Cebazat  loaded  the  trucks  of  the  1st  Batl.  with  flowers  as  their 
token  of  regard.  In  the  late  afternoon  of  Thursday,  Aug.  1,  the  men 
bade  goodbye  to  the  kind  villagers,  and  started  for  the  front.  The 
French  had  a  struggle  to  keep  back  tears;  and  we  ourselves  did 
not  dare  indulge  much  in  speech,  for  fear  of  betraying  un-soldier-like 
emotions.     Training  was  completed. 


CHAPTER  V 

Into  the  "Aisne-Marne  Offensive" 

IT  WAS  no  simple  process  for  the  55th  to  entrain;  things  never 
work  quite  smoothly  the  first  time.  Moreover,  even  when  clear 
and  full  instructions  had  been  issued,  and  everyone  was  eager 
to  do  his  part,  the  process  proved  to  be  a  complicated  one.    It 
filled  up  all  the  period  from  noon  of  Aug.  1  to  4  a.  m.,  Aug.  2,  merely 
for  the  battalions,  one  by  one,  to  move  to  the  Clermont  station, 
load  their  guns,  tractors  and  trucks  on  board  the  cars,  and  get 
themselves  in  readiness  to  pull  out  to  the  northward.     Each 
battalion  occupied  twenty  ^'side-door  Pullmans"  and  one  coach 
for  officers,  together  with  twenty-seven  flat-cars.     The  officers 
and  men  detailed  to  load  14-ton  guns  and  10-ton  tractors  on  small 
flat-cars  discovered  that  they  had  to  master  a  distinct  art;  when 
the  first  gun  rolled  from  the  ramp  to  the  end  of  the  car,  its  weight 
was  such  as  promptly  to  "teeter"  up  the  farther  end  of  the  car 
and  lift  the  wheels  off  the  "iron."    Thereafter  the  near  end  of  each 
car  had  to  be  blocked.    Two  men  traveled  on  the  flat-car  along  with 
each  gun,  tractor  and  truck,  and  one  man  accompanied  every  auto- 
mobile and  motorcycle.    Great  care  was  exercized  to  pack  the  gun- 
mats,  caterpillars,  blocks  and  other  accessories  so  as  to  present  a 
neat,  military  appearance;  for  Col.  Sevier  was  insistent  that  no 
section  should  look  "like  a  damned  circus  train."     Difference 
of  opinion  developed  between  the  regimental  oflScers  and  the  French 
chef  de  gare  as  to  what  constituted  a  proper  coach  for  officers; 
the  chef  was  for  giving  them  a  tiny,  decrepit  old  thing  which  would 
be  a  disgrace  to  any  self-respecting  railroad  track,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  likelihood  of  its  falling  to  pieces  along  the  way.    Col.  Sevier's 
gift  of  emphatic  speech  stood  the  regiment  in  good  stead;  altho 
the  chef  de  gare  is  absolute  master  of  railroad  property  in  or  near 
the  station,  he  was  soon  ready  to  run  around  wildly  in  circles  and 
call  upon  Jacques,  Henri,  Pierre  and  others  with  many  directions, 
and  after  a  deal  of  telephoning  he  produced  a  large,  new,  first-class 
car — one  with  a  corridor  so  that  sociability  would  be  possible  dur- 
ing the  journey;  he  had  sworn  by  all  the  saints  and  ten  thousand 
devils  that  no  other  cars  were  available,  but  he  changed  his  mind 
toute  de  suite  under  the  colonel's  eloquent  persuasions.    The  next 


92  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

day  people  detected  a  faint,  tho  distinct,  sulphurous  odor  in  the 
vicinity  where  the  speaker  had  been  standing. 

After  the  2d  Batl.  had  loaded,  they  were  compelled  to  wait  until 
the  army  baker  should  deliver  bread  for  the  journey.  There  stood 
the  train,  blocking  all  entrance  to  or  egress  from  the  station  while 
passenger-trains  were  waiting  to  enter;  and  the  chef  de  gare  fidgeted 
around,  whistle  in  hand,  determined  to  break  the  blockade,  whether 
the  men  had  bread  or  no  bread.  Polite  conversation  on  the  part 
of  the  battalion  adjutant  held  the  official's  attention  until  the  bread 
actually  arrived;  and  then,  during  the  loading  of  it,  a  loaf  of  fresh, 
white  bread  (in  marked  contrast  to  French  war-bread)  stuck  under 
each  arm  of  the  impatient  Frenchman  served  both  as  bribe  and  also 
as  bond  to  keep  the  whistle  away  from  the  mouth. 

At  length  the  55th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C,  were  off  for  the  front.  Along 
the  familiar  route  of  the  preceding  April  they  journeyed,  break- 
fasting, Aug.  2,  at  Saincaize,  and  then  on  down  the  beautiful 
Loire  valley  where  France's  fairest  chateaux  stood  resplendent  in 
the  sunshine;  the  men  ate  supper  at  Gien,  and  the  officers,  some- 
what later,  at  Montargis.  The  2d  Batl.  officers  had  barely  com- 
posed themselves  to  pleasant  dreams  that  night,  when  they  were 
disturbed  by  hammering  at  the  car-door,  and  were  informed 
that  a  car,  carrying  one  of  the  guns,  had  developed  a  hot-box; 
the  only  course  of  action  possible  was  to  uncouple  the  car  and 
leave  the  gun  behind,  under  strong  guard.  The  unfortunate 
"G.  P.  F."  overtook  the  regiment  at  Romeny  a  few  days  later. 

Just  as  dawn  was  breaking  on  Aug.  3,  they  pulled  into  the  junc- 
tion at  Noisy-le-Sec,  a  few  miles  east  of  Paris  on  the  Est  Railroad — 
so  near  were  they  to  the  metropolis  that  two  of  the  trains  caught 
a  momentary  glimpse  of  the  Eiffel  tower.  A  train  loaded  with 
"Poilus"  stood  beside  the  Headquarters  train  in  the  yard;  and  soon 
the  gallant  Frenchmen,  then  on  their  way  toward  the  battle-field, 
were  enjoying  an  excellent,  early  morning  concert  by  the  55th 
Band.  Meanwhile  Paris  news-boys  came  along  selling  papers; 
the  military  situation  had  seemed  alarming  when  the  regiment 
left  Clermont;  and  they  experienced  a  delightful  feeling  of  relief 
as  they  read  ^^Soissons  Reprise,' '  ^'  Soissons  est  d  nous,''  and  under- 
stood how  successful  Foch's  Aisne-Marne  Offensive  was  proving 
to  be,  and  how  disorderly  and  disastrous  was  the  German  retreat. 
The  55th,  in  common  with  all  Americans,  had  heard  of  Gen.  Omar 
Bundy's  famous  June  reply  (or  was  it  Capt.  Williams'  or,  as  some 


Into  the  '' Aisne-Marne  Offensive'*  93 

say,  Col.  Frederick  M.  Wise's  of  the  5th  Marines?)  when  advized 
by  a  French  lieutenant  colonel  to  withdraw  at  the  Belleau  Wood: 
"  We  regret  being  unable  on  this  occasion  to  follow  the  counsel  of 
our  masters,  the  French.  But  the  American  flag  has  been  forced 
to  retire.  This  is  unendurable;  and  none  of  our  soldiers  would 
understand  their  not  being  asked  to  do  whatever  is  necessary  to 
reestablish  a  situation  which  is  humiliating  to  us  and  unacceptable 
to  our  country's  honor.  We  are  going  to  counter-attack."  They 
had  thrilled  with  pride  at  the  words;  now  they  realized  that  the 
message  was  prophetic. 

Progress  was  slow;  and  the  regiment  had  only  reached  Meaux 
by  lunch-time.  The  Americans  gazed  with  keen  interest  from  the 
cars  as  they  slowly  passed  thru  this  city,  the  first  they  had  seen 
bearing  scars  of  actual  warfare — for  the  Germans  had  attained 
to  Meaux  as  their  farthest  toward  Paris  in  1914.  In  the  after- 
noon they  arrived  at  the  rail-head,  La  Ferte-sous-Jouarre  (Depart- 
ment of  Seine  et  Marne)  and  realized  that  further  progress  up  the 
Marne  would  be  dependent  upon  their  own  facilities.  Unloading 
was  prompt,  the  battalions  moving  their  cars  successively  up  to 
the  ramp  and  rolling  the  guns  and  trucks  off  with  the  utmost 
expedition;  meanwhile,  the  men  rested  in  the  freight-shed.  A 
glance  around  was  enough  to  prove  that  the  regiment  was  at  the 
front.  The  station,  originally  large  and  handsome,  as  one  would 
expect  near  Paris,  had  been  bombed  on  July  15,  when  a  German 
aviator,  in  a  captured  French  plane,  approached  within  a  very 
few  yards,  undetected  during  the  dusk  of  evening,  and  dropped 
five  bombs  with  terribly  destructive  effect;  perhaps  this  was  the 
very  object-lesson  needed  by  the  Americans  to  bring  them  to  a 
realizing  sense  of  their  new  position.  Maj.  Gen.  Clarence  R. 
Edwards  rode  up  during  the  unloading  process  and  sat  in  his  auto, 
watching  the  work;  presently  he  made  a  few  friendly  inquiries 
and  indicated  that  he  remembered  the  men  of  Boston  Harbor  from 
the  summer  previous,  when  he  had  been  commander  of  the  North- 
eastern Department.  Passing  infantry  and  field  artillery  yelled 
as  they  caught  sight  of  our  formidable  ''G.  P.  F."  rifles:  "Well, 
I  think  we'll  give  these  Dutchmen  hell  now,  boys!  Did  you  see 
those  babies?"  Most  of  the  regiment  marched,  that  is,  traveled 
on  foot  or  in  their  own  motor  vehicles,  to  Romeny  the  same  night, 
going  by  way  of  Bussieres  and  crossing  the  Marne  at  Nogent 
I'Artaud,  while  those  compelled  to  remain  behind  with  property 


94  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

of  any  kind  made  themselves  comfortable  in  or  near  the  ruined 
station,  sleeping  soundly  on  the  assumption  that  "lightning 
never  strikes  twice  in  the  same  spot";  they  followed  along  the 
next  morning,  Sunday,  Aug.  4. 

At  La  Ferte  a  tractor  suddenly  "went  dead"  on  the  bridge  cross- 
ing the  Marne,  at  a  point  where  the  roadway  was  just  wide  enough 
for  the  tractor  and  foot-passengers;  with  a  "dead"  tractor  and 
heavy  gun  on  the  bridge,  everything  was  blocked,  and  this  on  the 
important  direct  road  from  Chateau-Thierry  to  Paris — the  supply 
of  the  army  was  temporarily  cut  off.  The  gun-crew  and  officers 
did  much  "sweating"  on  this  job,  and  finally  were  relieved  to  see 
the  tractor  start,  as  suddenly  and  inexpKcably  as  it  had  stopped. 

La  Ferte  was  a  hive  of  activity;  there  were  the  headquarters  of 
both  Gen.  Pershing  and  Gen.  Edwards,  and  the  infantry  of  the  26th 
Division  were  pouring  into  the  place  for  a  brief  rest  after  hard  and 
prolonged  fighting.  At  length  we  began  to  learn  what  had  been 
happening  recently.  The  Germans,  stopped  at  Belleau  Wood  by 
the  2d  Division  on  June  5,  had  waited  quietly  until  July  15,  and  then 
made  another  attempt  to  break  thru  Chateau-Thierry  and  go  on 
along  the  Paris-Metz  road,  down  the  Marne  valley,  toward  Paris. 
This  time  they  did  not  achieve  much,  if  any,  progress.  The  38th 
French  Corps  of  the  4th  French  Army,  including  the  3d  American 
Division,  guarded  all  exits  to  the  south  and  west  from  Chateau- 
Thierry  so  strongly  that  the  new  drive  stopped  right  where  it  began; 
and  after  trying  for  three  days,  the  attackers  found  tables  turned, 
and  they  themselves  were  attacked.  We  were  proud  to  hear  that 
this  new  plan  of  aggression  was  credited  to  Gen.  Pershing,  and  to 
know  that  he  had  been  first  to  urge  it  upon  Marshal  Foch — on  June 
22.  To  tell  it  in  Allied  official  language,  the  Champagne-Marne 
Defensive  continued  only  from  July  15  to  July  18;  and  then  became 
transformed  into  the  Aisne-Marne  Offensive,  July  18  to  Aug.  6. 
An  American  Army  Corps,  the  1st,  had  been  organized  July  4,  as 
a  consequence  of  the  Belleau  Wood  victory,  and  included,  under 
command  of  Maj.  Gen.  Hunter  Liggett,  the  26th  and  2d  American 
Divisions  (the  latter  soon  replaced  by  the  4th)  and  the  167th  French 
Division;  the  new  command  promptly  began  to  operate  as  part  of 
the  6th  French  Army,  driving  back  the  Germans  from  the  north  of 
Chateau-Thierry  and  cooperating  with  the  10th  French  Army  to 
the  northward,  towards  Soissons,  in  pinching  out  the  Marne  saUent. 
New  divisions  had  been  thrown  in,  all  that  Gen.  Pershing  then  had 


Into  the  '' Aisne-Marne  Offensive"  95 

ready  for  service,  the  42d,  the  4th,  the  32d  and  the  28th;  while  the 
3d  Division,  pounding  the  retreating  enemy  up  the  roads  running 
northeast  from  Chateau-Thierry,  had  become  the  guide  for  the 
entire  movement.  The  26th  and  the  3d  Divisions  had  been  reheved 
(the  reason  for  our  seeing  the  26th  resting  at  La  Ferte),  and  the  42d, 
32d  and  28th  had  pressed  on  along  the  axis  of  the  salient,  driving  the 
Germans  thru  Fresnes,  Courmont,  Cierges,  Coulonges,  Cohan, 
Dravegny,  Chery  Chartreuve,  and  Courville,  to  Fismes.  On  July 
12,  a  new  American  Corps  had  been  organized,  the  3d,  under  com- 
mand of  Maj.  Gen.  Robert  L.  Bullard,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
on  the  operation.  On  Aug.  3  (the  date  of  our  arrival)  the  retreating 
foe  were  attempting  a  last  stand  at  Fismes  on  the  Vesle  river;  and 
there  the  55th  Artillery  were  to  help  dislodge  them  a  few  days  later. 

The  55th  found  themselves  attached  to  the  new  3d  Corps,  and 
now  began  their  long  and  pleasant  connection  with  the  Corps 
Army  Post-Office  No.  754,  temporarily  situated  at  Gland;  Head- 
quarters of  our  31st  Brigade  was  one  town  farther  up  the  Marne  at 
Mont  St.  Pdre,  the  brigade  then  consisting  of  only  two  regiments, 
the  55th  and  the  56th.  Owing  to  the  danger  from  enemy  bombers, 
all  unnecessary  noise  was  forbidden — even  bugle-calls  were  discon- 
tinued; until  after  Nov.  11,  there  was  to  be  no  more  reveille,  mess- 
call  or  taps.  Yet  it  promptly  appeared  that  hunger  was  sufficient 
to  rouse  a  man  from  sleep  and  bring  him  to  the  cook's  shack,  while 
fatigue  and  prohibition  of  lights  were  more  potent  than  any  trumpet 
to  soothe  him  to  sleep  at  night. 

A  billeting  party,  consisting  of  lieutenants  from  all  three  bat- 
talions, had  gone  on,  a  day  or  two  ahead  of  the  regiment,  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  accommodations;  and  had  selected  Romeny, 
a  village  in  the  Department  of  the  Aisne,  situated  on  the  River 
Marne.  The  town  would  have  been  only  two-thirds  large  enough 
if  we  had  occupied  the  whole  of  it;  and  inasmuch  as  the  civilian 
population  were  beginning  to  return  home  again,  we  were  crowded 
yet  more.  It  was  the  plan  of  the  billeting  party  to  establish  the 
Commanding  Officer  and  regimental  Headquarters  away  off  in  the 
next  village,  while  the  regiment  occupied  Romeny — they  ''had  it 
fixed  fine,''  as  they  confidentially  reported  to  their  comrades;  but 
the  Colonel  decided  otherwise.  Only  one  first-class  building  stood 
in  the  town,  the  chateau  of  the  Count  de  Joinville.  Each  battalion 
thought  they  ought  to  have  this  for  their  Headquarters;  and  the 
matter  was  still  in  dispute,  when  the  Colonel  came  and  ''ranked 


96  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

them  all  out  of  it/^  A  few  days  later  the  count  and  his  wife  ap- 
peared, amongst  many  other  refugees,  returning  on  foot  to  look 
after  their  property;  the  Colonel  entertained  them  with  a  fine  band- 
concert  and  gave  them  the  best  fare  the  officers'  mess  could  supply 
and  sent  them  back  to  La  Ferte  in  a  regimental  auto,  happy  and 
contented;  thereafter  nothing  the  count  possessed  was  too  good  for 
the  55th.  When,  a  little  later,  the  regiment  left  a  new-made  Ameri- 
can grave  in  the  Romeny  cemetery,  the  chateau  family  promised 
to  care  for  it  as  they  would  for  their  own. 

All  three  battalion  Headquarters  were  in  ordinary  dwelling- 
houses.  An  abundance  of  currants,  fresh  tomatoes  and  celery,  ripe 
and  ready  for  harvest,  were  found  in  the  gardens  of  Romeny.  The 
2d  Batl.  took  possession  of  a  bourgeois  residence  and  found  it 
crammed  full  of  bric-a-brac,  gentleman's  moustache  curling  irons, 
fashion  magazines,  fancy-legged  chairs  and  tables;  the  beds  were 
good,  and  the  dining-room  was  amply  provided  with  ornamental 
china,  left  behind  when  the  owners  fled  from  the  Germans;  but  all 
the  knives,  forks  and  spoons  had  been  taken  along,  causing  an 
annoying  shortage.  Romeny  had  not  been  captured  by  the  Germans 
after  all,  and  bore  only  the  scars  inflicted  by  aerial  bombers  and  by 
the  invaders  of  four  years  previously. 

It  was  on  the  fourth  anniversary  of  the  war,  Aug.  3,  that  the 
regiment  occupied  the  village. 

It  appeared  later  that  special  reasons  existed  why  the  inhabitants 
were  not  cordial  toward  our  billeting  party  and  did  not  over-exert 
themselves  to  help.  French  Colonial  troops  had  been  the  last 
visitants  to  Romeny  and  the  neighboring  villages;  and  incredible 
as  the  statement  appeared,  these  wearers  of  the  French  uniform 
were  actually  reported  to  have  committed  both  rape  and  robbery 
upon  the  French  civiUans.  No  wonder  that  the  poor  people  were 
chary  of  receiving  strangers. 

The  Marne  cast  a  spell  upon  the  men  during  their  days  at  Ro- 
meny; and  they  kept  pondering  over  the  meaning  of  the  great  bat- 
tle-field. Perhaps  they  were  only  dimly  conscious  of  warriors  who 
had  trodden  the  river-banks  in  earlier  centuries — Caesar,  Aetius  and 
Theodoric — and  defeated  Attila  (the  original  "Hun")>  Charles 
Martel,  who  in  720  built  the  chateau  at  Chdteau-Thierry,  and  the 
Republican  heroes  of  Valmy — the  men  who  won  for  this  district 
the  soubriquet  of  "the  holy  land  of  French  arms,"  but  the  Ameri- 
cans were  keenly  aware  of  the  battle-field  on  the  hill  above  Romeny 


Hattkky   in   Position 


Tractor  and  Crew 


Approaching  Position 


Laying  Gun,  Men  Wearing  Masks 


r "" " 

1 

^^iy^%  ^ 

-fl 

^.^tr-^1^ 

C.     A.    C,    C'LtA.Nn    AlI.    <    iili-.>.        \    Lt^ASLSu     i\i>.Mi-,M,     A  L  u  I  r^  i  ,     1  i)  1 S 


lii-AL..^   .^iiAVi^u    TO    PitEVEXT   MuSTARD   BuRNS.       CLEANING    Li'    AlTER   CLEANING   UP   TOWN. 

RoMENY,  August,  1918 


Passing  Thru  Jauloonne  on  the  Marnb  in  August,  1918 


Into  the  '^ Aisne-Marne  Offensive'^  97 

and  along  the  river-banks  nearer  Chateau-Thierry,  the  field  where 
their  own  comrades  of  the  2d  and  3d  and  26th  Divisions  had 
established  the  American  reputation  as  fighters.  Along  the  main 
road  leading  thru  the  town  came  trooping  the  101st  Engineers 
of  the  26th  Division,  on  their  way  to  a  brief  and  hard-earned  rest, 
and  after  them  came  the  51st  Artillery  Brigade;  so  many  coast 
artillerymen  had  been  transferred  into  these  regiments  in  months 
past  that  the  meeting  was  one  continuous  reunion  for  the  division 
and  for  the  55th — all  ''the  Boston  artillery"  were  together  again, 
and  greatly  did  they  rejoice  in  exchanging  "yarns."  The  same 
road  had  to  serve  as  main  channel  of  supply  for  the  3d  Corps, 
now  thirty  miles  "nearer  Germany,"  and  the  narrow  way  was 
congested  with  incessant  traffic  day  and  night,  clouds  of  dust 
rising  when  the  weather  was  dry,  and  slippery  mud  forming  on 
wet  days  as  an  especial  contrivance  to  make  trucks  skid  off  into 
the  adjoining  ditch.  Then  came  the  passenger  vehicles,  long 
cavalcades  of  trucks  laden  with  infantrymen  on  the  way  "in"; 
the  1st  Pioneer  Infantry  passed  us,  and  after  them  the  77th  Divi- 
sion, and  following  them  the  82d  Division  had  commenced  to  go 
by  when  our  turn  came  to  move.  The  55th  began  at  last  to  realize 
what  war  signified — they  visualized  it  in  terms  of  roaring  motor- 
trucks; and  this  conception  remained  uppermost  in  the  regimental 
mind  until  the  end.  But  they  had  one  even  more  solemn  reminder; 
in  the  village  church-yard  were  the  graves  of  six  Americans,  who 
had  died  three  weeks  earlier,  and  soon  we  were  to  lay  one  of  our 
comrades  beside  them — but  "that  is  another  story." 

Col.  Harry  T.  Mathews  visited  the  55th  at  Romeny  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  Inspector  General's  Department.  An  inspection 
is  supposed  to  be  a  formidable  affair,  and  the  Colonel's  was  thoro; 
but  the  inspector  had  been  an  officer  in  the  Boston  coast  defenses 
so  long  and  knew  these  particular  men  so  well  that  he  never  could 
help  treating  the  regiment  like  old  friends.  Our  guns  were  found 
in  good  order.  Some  of  the  points  to  which  careful  attention  was 
given  were  these:  Dirt  on  the  rifles;  possible  missing  parts  of  the 
oilers  and  thong-cases ;  whether  the  first-aid  packet  was  in  its  pocket, 
right  side  up;  the  soles  of  the  shoes;  the  condition  of  the  uniforms; 
holes  in  the  socks;  and  toe-nails  cut  short.  Grease-cans  on  the 
trucks  were  a  specialty  of  Col.  Mathews';  wo  betide  the  truck- 
driver  whose  can  was  not  clean  and  tightly  closed!  He  inspected 
the  kitchens,  a  battalion  at  a  time,  commencing  with  the  1st. 
7 


98  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Scouts  were  out  from  the  other  two  battalions  in  order  to  learn 
where,  in  particular,  the  "lightning  would  strike'^;  and  so  the  2d 
and  3d  Battalions  were  able  to  get  their  cooks'  finger-nails  cut 
and  "policed"  just  in  season  to  earn  a  clean  bill  of  health.  In 
Romeny,  as  back  in  the  Auvergne,  the  regiment  faced  the  problem 
of  the  French  manure  pile.  The  inspector  insisted  that  such 
centers  of  infection  be  removed,  while  the  villagers  objected 
strenuously  to  losing  their  accumulated  potential  agricultural 
wealth ;  and  our  trucks  had  to  carry  the  dressing  all  the  way  to  the 
fields,  in  order  to  pacify  the  owners.  Col.  Mathews  urged  every- 
one to  have  all  hair  shaven  off  his  head,  so  as  to  simplify  the  treat- 
ment, in  the  event  of  mustard-gas  burns.  The  officers  did  not 
relish  the  prospect  of  becoming  prematurely  bald;  and  as  it  was  not 
an  order,  but  merely  kindly  counsel,  they  were  not  prompt  to 
accede;  but  finally  most  of  them  submitted  to  the  tonsorial  opera- 
tion so  as  to  set  a  proper  example  to  their  men.  No  one  had 
counted  on  the  flies.  Whether  because  of  so  many  passing  troops 
or  so  much  manure,  or  merely  neglect,  the  pests  were  innumerable ; 
dining-rooms  (so  far  as  such  existed)  had  to  be  kept  darkened  in 
order  to  be  usable,  and  as  for  the  bald-heads,  men  simply  had  to 
wear  caps  continually  in  self-defense.  The  fly-pest  grew  worse 
later  on;  in  the  vicinity  of  Arcis  le  Ponsart  they  were  so  thick  in 
our  rooms  and  dug-outs  that  there  was  not  space  enough  on  the 
ceiling  for  all  to  light  at  one  time,  and  some  had  to  keep  in  constant 
motion,  day  and  night;  and  of  course  this  vigorous  exercise  pro- 
duced an  abnormally  voracious  appetite  in  insects  who,  ordinarily, 
were  by  no  means  moderate  in  their  hunger. 

On  Aug.  7  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hutchinson,  from  Alabama,  gave  the 
regiment  an  excellent  humorous  and  musical  entertainment  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  amongst  other  features  rendering  a 
translation  of  "Madelon."  The  men  especially  remembered  it; 
as  it  was  the  only  event  of  the  sort  which  they  ever  enjoyed  while 
at  the  front.  A  truck  was  equipped  with  the  piano  from  the  de 
Joinville  chdteau  and  was  backed  into  a  neighboring  field;  the  men 
assembled  around  it  and,  seated  on  the  ground,  spent  many  pleas- 
ant minutes.  A  few  passing  Senegalese  soldiers  drifted  into  the 
crowd,  but  they  could  not  understand  enough  to  make  them  feel 
interested. 

In  compliance  with  an  inexplicable  regimental  order,  helmets 
and  gas-masks  were  worn  at  all  times  while  the  regiment  were  in 


Into  the  " Aisne-Marne  Offensive**  99 

Romeny.  True,  there  was  a  sign  posted  on  a  tree  at  the  entrance 
of  the  village  notifying  passers-by  that  they  were  entering  the 
"gas  zone";  but  times  had  changed  since  the  notice  was  put  up; 
now  the  enemy  were  thirty  miles  away.  What  made  it  all  doubly 
hard  was  the  fact  that  the  infantry,  returning  from  the  front,  would 
''kid"  the  55th  and  ask  them  where  they  "thought  they  were  at." 

From  time  to  time  fleets  of  aeroplanes  flew  overhead  in  "V" 
formation,  headed  for  the  front;  there  was  speculation  as  to  whether 
they  were  equipped  with  Liberty  motors.  Liberty  motor  planes 
were  reported  as  actually  fighting  on  Aug.  2L  The  aviation  of  the 
6th  French  Army  had  been  "smashed"  by  the  enemy  not  many 
weeks  previously,  and  had  not  yet  been  replaced. 

On  Aug.  7  the  rail-head  was  advanced  from  La  Ferte  to  Mezy, 
while  the  3d  Corps  and  31st  Brigade  Headquarters,  including  our 
post-office,  were  pushed  forward  many  miles  and  established  in 
or  near  Coulonges.  As  the  55th*s  trucks  began  to  visit  these  new 
positions  in  search  of  supplies,  they  reported  many  fresh  facts 
connected  with  the  battle.  At  Mezy  they  found  a  German  grave 
which  bore  evidence  of  American  humor.  Apparently  the  inmate 
had  gotten  himself  especially  disliked  by  the  3d  Division;  as  his 
inscription  worked  a  new  variation  on  the  familiar  "  Requiescat  in 
pace"  and  proclaimed,  "This  boche  rests  in  pieces." 

The  55th  found  themselves  part  of  the  French  Army  on  the 
Marne;  while  the  3d  Corps  was  wholly  American,  it  served  under 
French  command  and  belonged  to  the  6th  French  Army.  The 
Americans  were  loyal  allies;  and  when  they  learned  that  especial 
need  existed  anywhere,  there  was  the  place  they  wished  to  go. 
It  soon  became  evident  that  American  artillery  was  needed,  and 
needed  badly,  at  the  front;  for  the  French  guns  had  become  worn 
thru  excessive  use.  One  French  battalion  had  only  three  guns  in 
service  out  of  its  original  eight.  There  was  no  question  but  that 
the  55th  would  receive  the  warmest  kind  of  a  welcome  from  both 
American  doughboys  and  French  artillery.  All  that  held  the  regi- 
ment back  in  Romeny  was  the  lack  of  transportation;  they  had 
received  only  part  of  their  trucks,  and  they  had  not  enough  ve- 
hicles to  move  their  materiel.  Men  had  been  sent  to  the  sea-ports 
to  procure  the  missing  "Quads"  and  "Kellys,"  and  were  expected 
back  any  day;  but  something  ought  to  be  done  now  in  order  to 
render  assistance  at  Fismes.  Finally  it  was  decided  to  strip  the 
2d  and  3d  Battalions  of  vehicles  and  so  provide  the  1st  Batl.  with 


100  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

sufficient  transportation,  and  to  send  Maj.  Dusenbury^s  men  ahead 
at  once.  Similar  arrangements  were  made  in  the  56th  Regiment; 
and  toute  de  suite,  a  race  was  on  to  see  which  command  would  fire 
the  first  gun.  The  men  of  the  56th  got  away  Aug.  5,  while  the  55th 
were  twenty-four  hours  later;  but  the  55th  were  in  position  sooner. 
And  at  12.03  p.  M.  on  Aug.  9,  Sgt.  Damon's  gun,  No.  1  in  Bat. 
A,  the  '' AUie,''  had  the  honor  of  firing  the  first  American  shot  with 
heavy  artillery  in  the  battle.  The  target  was  a  bridge  across  the 
Aisne  River,  far  in  the  German  rear,  and  over  which  they  expected 
soon  to  retreat;  and  subsequent  aerial  observation  revealed  that 
just  five  missiles  from  the  "AUie"  were  required  to  demolish  the 
structure.  With  the  exception  of  the  2d  Batl.  of  the  57th  Arty., 
Maj.  Dusenbury's  command  was  the  first  (C.  A.  C.)  G.  P.  F. 
unit  to  appear  at  the  front. 

The  battalion  soon  became  so  accustomed  to  shells'  dropping 
all  around  them  that  they  paid  no  particular  attention  to  such 
"messages."  The  Germans  sent  over  a  lot  of  *'duds"  (shells 
which  failed  to  explode)  and  led  the  battalion  to  think  that  the 
enemy  were  all  out  of  real  shells.  Then,  bang!  came  the  good  ones; 
and  a  shower  of  leaves  fell  all  around.  As  many  shells  contained  gas, 
the  gas-inspector  was  compelled  to  be  ever  vigilant  in  guarding 
his  comrades  against  the  deadly  fumes.  Cpl.  Lee  F.  Doble  of  Bat. 
A  was  the  first  man  wounded  (Cpl.  Doble,  who  had  sung  so  sweet 
a  first  tenor  in  the  battalion  quartet).  It  happened  in  this  wise 
(to  use  the  corporal's  own  words):  ''On  Aug.  10,  one  shell  burst 
right  behind  me.  I  looked  over  my  shoulder  and  could  feel  the 
shock.  I  knew  I  was  struck,  but  I  had  no  feeling.  I  didn't  know 
until  I  got  to  the  hospital  that  I  was  struck  under  the  shoulder- 
blade  and  three  of  my  ribs  broken."  Cpl.  Doble  recovered 
from  his  wound,  serious  as  it  was,  and  was  amongst  the  fore- 
most, in  the  following  spring,  to  welcome  his  comrades  back  to 
America. 

While  at  the  conclusion  of  the  Aisne-Marne  Offensive  the  55th 
had  only  their  1st  Batl.  in  firing  position,  the  entire  regiment  were 
within  the  limits  of  the  great  battle-field;  and  orders  prescribed 
that  ''any  unit  occupying  a  sector  is  entitled  to  participation  in 
battle."  General  Mangin,  commanding  the  10th  French  Army 
and  directing  the  operations  of  all  the  French  armies,  issued  a 
general  order  thanking  the  Americans  for  their  brilliant  coopera- 
tion in  the  battle: 


Into  the  '^ Aisne-Marne  Offensive*'  . '     \ Iftl^ 

"Xe  Armee   Au  Q.  G.  A.,  30th  July  1918. 

"ETAT-MAJOR   3e  Bureau   No  862 /S 

"Ordre  General  No  318 

"Ofl&cers,    Non   commissioned   Officers   and   Soldiers   of   the   3d 

United  States  Army  Corps, 

"Shoulder  to  shoulder  with  your  French  comrades  you  were 
thrown  into  the  counter-offensive  battle  which  commenced  on  the 
18th  of  July. 

"  You  rushed  into  the  j&ght  as  tho  to  a  fete. 

"  Your  magnificent  courage  completely  routed  a  surprized  enemy 
and  your  indomitable  tenacity  checked  the  counter-attacks  of 
his  fresh  divisions. 

"You  have  shown  yourselves  worthy  Sons  of  your  Great  Country 
and  you  were  admired  by  your  brothers  in  arms. 

"91  guns,  7,200  prisoners,  immense  booty,  10  kilometers  of  coun- 
try reconquered;  this  is  your  portion  of  the  spoil  of  this  victory. 

"Furthermore,  you  have  really  felt  your  superiority  over  the 
barbarous  enemy  of  the  whole  human  race,  against  whom  the 
children  of  Liberty  are  striving. 

"To  attack  him  is  to  vanquish  him. 

"American  Comrades!  I  am  grateful  to  you  for  the  blood  so 
generously  spilled  on  the  soil  of  my  Country. 

"I  am  proud  to  have  commanded  you  during  such  days  and  to 
have  fought  with  you  for  the  deliverance  of  the  world. 

"L.  Mangin." 

Altho  the  55th  acknowledged  that  the  citation  was  somewhat 
undeserved,  so  far  as  they  were  concerned,  still  they  felt  that  the 
issuance  of  such  an  order  was  an  encouraging  welcome  for  them, 
when  they  were,  for  the  first  time,  entering  battle.  Gen.  Pershing 
followed  with  a  general  order,  G.  H.  Q.,  A.  E.  F.,  and  thus  rendered 
the  55th's  first  citation  a  double  one. 

"It  fills  me  with  pride  to  record  in  General  Orders  a  tribute  to 
the  service  and  achievement  of  the  First  and  Third  Corps,  com- 
prising the  First,  Second,  Third,  Fourth,  Twenty-sixth,  Twenty- 
eighth,  Thirty-second  and  Forty-second  Divisions  of  the  American 
Expeditionary  Forces. 

"You  came  to  the  battlefield  at  the  crucial  hour  of  the  Allied 
cause.  For  almost  four  years  the  most  formidable  army  the  world 
had  as  yet  seen  had  pressed  its  invasion  of  France,  and  stood 
threatening  its  capital. 


?*,  -^  RMfiB  AuQ  C  A  .U  so  JuilUt  1918 

£tAT-MA}dR 


No  862/S 


X«    ARMfiE 

fiTAT-MAJOR 

3«  BUREAU 

Kc  862/S 


Au  Q  G  A  ,  iO^>^  July  1918. 


Ordre  general  N°  318 


Ordre  General  N°  318 


Officiers,  Sotis-Officiers  ei  Soldats 
dui"'V.S.A.C., 

£paule  centre  ^ule  avec  vos  camarades  Fran^ais, 
vous  vous  4teS  jetds  dans  la  bataille  de  contre-offen- 
^ve  qui  a  commence  le  18  juillet. 

Vous  y  ave^couni  comihe  h  une  fhe. 

Votre  dan  maghifiquea  bouscul^  Tennemi  surpris 
et  votrc  t^nacit^  indomptable  a  arrets  Je  retour 
offensif  de  ses  Divisions  fralches. 

Vous  vous  etes  mofltrfe  l^jdignes  Fils  de  votre 
Grand  Pays  et  vous  avez  fait  I'admiration  de  vos 
frdres  d'anncs. 

91  canons,  7.200  pnsonniers,  un  butin  immense, 
JO  kiloipetres  de  terrain  reconquis,  vpiU  votre  part 
dans  les  trophies  de  cene  victoire. 

En  outre,  vous  avez  acquis  pleinement  le  senti- 
ment de  votre  superiority  sur  le  barbare,  ennemi  du 
genre  humain  tout  entier,  centre  lequel  luttent  les 
JEnfants  de  la  Libert^. 

L'attaquer,  c'est  le  vaincre. 

Qmarades  ^m^ricains,  je  vous  suis  reconnaissant 
dt  sang  g^dreusement  ver$£  sur  le  sol  de  ma  Patrie. 

je  $uis  fier  de  vous  avoir  commands  en  d.e  telles 
iOtun^  et  d'avoir  comlwttu  avec  vous  pour  la  d^li- 
vrance  du  monde. 


Officers,  Noff  commissioned  Officers 
and  Soldiers  of  the  i'"  Vmied  States  Army  Corps. 

Shoulder  to  shoulder  wjth  \our  French  comrades 
you  were  thrown  into  the  counier-offensive  battle 
■which  commenced  on  the  18'''  of  July 

You  rushed  into  the  fight  as  though  to  a  f^te 

Your  magnificent  courage  completely  routed  a 
surprised  enemy  and  \our  indomitable  tenacity 
checked  the  counter-attacks  of  his  fresh  Divisions 

You  have  shown  yourselves  worthy  Sons  of  your 
Great  Country  and  you  were  admired  by  your  bro- 
thers in  arms 

91  guns,  7  200  prisoners,  immense  booty, 
10  kilometers  of  country  reconquered;  this  is  your 
portion  of  the  spoil  of  this  victory 

Funhermore,  you  have  really  felt  your  superio- 
rity.over  the  barbarous  enemy  of  the  whole  human 
race,  against  whom  the  children  of  Liberty  are 
striving. 

To  attack  him  is  to  vanquish  him 

American  Comrades'  I  am  grateful  to  you  for 
the  blood  so  generously  spilled  on  the  soil  of  my 
Country. 

1  am  proud  to  have  commanded  you  during  such 
days  and  to  have  fought  with  you  for  the  delive- 
rance of  the  world. 


Into  the  '^ Aisne-Marne  Offensive^ ^  103 

"At  no  time  had  that  army  been  more  powerful  or  menacing 
than  when,  on  July  18,  it  struck  again  to  destroy  in  one  great 
battle  the  brave  men  opposed  to  it  and  to  enforce  its  brutal  will 
upon  the  world  and  civilization. 

"Three  days  later,  in  conjunction  with  our  AlUes,  you  counter- 
attacked. The  Allied  Armies  gained  a  brilliant  victory  that  marks 
the  turning  point  of  the  war.  You  did  more  than  give  our  brave 
Alhes  the  support  to  which  as  a  nation  our  faith  was  pledged.  You 
proved  that  our  altruism,  our  pacific  Spirit,  our  sense  of  justice 
had  not  blunted  our  virility  or  our  courage. 

"You  have  shown  that  America's  initiative  and  energy  are  as 
fit  for  the  tests  of  war  as  for  the  pursuits  of  peace.  You  have 
justly  won  the  unstinted  praise  of  our  AUies  and  the  eternal  grati- 
tude of  our  countrymen. 

"We  have  paid  for  our  success  in  the  lives  of  many  of  our  brave 
comrades.  We  shall  cherish  their  memory  always,  and  claim  for 
our  history  and  our  literature  their  bravery,  achievements  and 
sacrifices. 

"This  order  will  be  read  to  all  organizations  at  the  first  assembly 
formation  after  its  receipt. 

"John  J.  Pershing, 
"  General,  Commander-in-Chief. 

"August  27,  1918." 


CHAPTER  VI 

With  the  3d  Cokps  in  the  "Oise-Aisne  Offensive" 

DURING  the  days  elapsing  between  the  start  of  the  1st 
Batl.  from  Romeny  and  the  reassembling  of  the  regiment 
near  Arcis  le  Ponsart,  important  developments  took  place, 
which  presently  affected  the  55th  and  every  other  regiment  in 
the  American  Army.  By  an  order  of  Aug.  8,  the  War  Depart- 
ment abolished  the  distinction  between  privileged  "regulars" 
and  others,  and  put  an  end  to  much  heart-burning;  all  officers 
were  impartially  listed  in  strict  order  of  seniority,  regardless  of 
"previous  condition  of  servitude."  It  was  decreed  that  "Orders 
having  reference  to  the  United  States  army,  as  divided  in  separate 
and  component  forces  of  distinct  origin,  or  assuming  or  contemplat- 
ing such  a  division,  are  to  that  extent  revoked,"  and  that  "The 
insignia  now  prescribed  for  the  regular  army  shall  hereafter  be 
worn  by  the  United  States  army."  Aug.  10  brought  the  announce- 
ment that  Gen.  John  J.  Pershing  had  "assumed  command  of  the 
1st  American  Army,"  and  that  an  American  "high  command" 
existed;  at  the  same  time  the  portion  of  the  front  between  the 
Meuse  and  Moselle  Rivers  became  the  American  sector.  But 
while  other  units  began  to  move  thither  toward  the  St.  Mihiel 
region,  the  3d  Corps  remained  as  part  of  the  6th  French  Army; 
and  its  units,  the  28th  (Maj.  Gen.  Charles  H.  Muir)  and  77th 
(Maj.  Gen.  George  B.  Duncan  and  Maj.  Gen.  Robert  Alexander) 
Divisions,  fought  on  under  Gen.  Mangin;  the  55th  Artillery  were 
especially  associated  with  the  28th  Division,  National  Guardsmen 
from  Pennsylvania. 

In  a  field  to  the  east  of  Romeny,  where  the  sixteen  guns  of  the 
55th  stood  under  a  camouflage  screen  of  foliage,  the  men  assembled, 
out  under  the  blue  sky,  on  Sunday,  Aug.  11,  for  their  final  church 
service  before  entering  battle;  Holy  Communion  was  administered 
from  an  altar  improvised  on  a  tractor-caterpillar.  The  drivers 
declared  their  belief  that  the  machine  would  thereafter  have  "good 
luck." 

A  sad  drowning  accident  occurred  on  Aug.  12;  Pvt.  Ralph  E. 
Gerred,  one  of  the  most  popular  members  of  Bat.  D,  caught  a 
cramp,  while  swimming  in  the  Marne,  and  sank  helplessly;  and  as 


Copyright  Committee  on  Public  Information 
The  French  Glad  to  See  American  G.  P.  F.'s  at  the  Front 


Okunancb  Uepaik  Tkuck  of  thk  Second  JJattalion 


I'ktk  Suea':3  Kitchen,  Romeny 


^ 

^^ 

\s*J« 

m 

>  i  ^|mHk 

t\^ 

'  ■  ;^;:|.^;^-'^'^^^ 

% 

^^;^ 

^.-  , 

'iS 

»^tZBiB«i^»'       ,:  -— 

American    Graves,  Romeny.      Gerred's    Nearest 


French  Artilleryman's  House,  Passy 


QuENTiN  Roosevelt's  Grave 


Signal  Corps  Photo 
Danqerous  Corner  at  Coulonges 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ^' Oise-Aisne  Offensive^^  105 

no  companions  were  near,  rescue  was  impossible.  Lt.  Reginald 
Poland  rushed  to  the  river  as  soon  as  the  accident  was  reported, 
and  dove  for  the  missing  man — performing  the  remarkable  feat 
of  reaching  bottom  in  twenty  feet  of  water;  but  by  the  time  the 
body  was  recovered,  it  was  lifeless.  The  men,  while  bathing,  had 
watched  with  interest  to  see  barges,  laden  with  wounded  from  the 
battle-fields,  float  down  past  them,  and  had  shuddered  as,  now 
and  then,  a  dead  body,  of  horse  or  man,  drifted  by;  now  they 
had  a  more  personal  tragic  interest  in  the  river.  An  order  was 
issued  declaring  bathing  unsafe.  A  simple  and  impressive  military 
funeral  followed  on  the  next  day.  The  Band  led  the  procession  of 
mourners  to  the  little  village  cemetery;  and  Gerred  was  laid  to 
rest  there  beside  the  other  Americans.  So  incessant  was  the  stream 
of  traffic  that  it  was  difficult  for  our  special  military  police  to  hold 
the  vehicles  back  during  the  two  minutes  required  for  the  proces- 
sion. Cpl.  Butler  of  the  Supply  Co.,  who  in  civil  life  had  been  a 
professional  designer,  prepared  an  artistic  cross  to  mark  Gerred's 
last  resting-place;  and  received  so  much  praise  for  his  handiwork 
that  he  proceeded  to  make  similar  markers  for  the  other  six  Ameri- 
can graves. 

Seventy-five  trucks,  which  had  come  over  the  road  all  the  way 
from  St.  Nazaire,  arrived  on  Aug.  13;  and  altho  they  were  far  from 
completing  the  regimental  equipment,  they  were  sufficient  to 
render  movement  possible.  The  start  was  ordered  on  the  very 
next  day,  so  soon,  in  fact,  as  to  permit  barely  sufficient  time  to 
put  the  new  trucks  in  running  condition;  orders  came  about  10 
A.  M.  for  the  2d  and  3d  Battalions  to  "move  at  noon."  While, 
later  on,  the  regiment  learned  to  load  and  start  very  promptly, 
even  under  most  adverse  circumstances,  they  could  not  do  so, 
as  early  in  their  career  as  Aug.  14;  it  was  not  until  3.25  p.  m.  that 
they  were  able  to  get  away,  and  then  only  under  pressure  from  the 
Colonel  and  with  several  trucks  out  of  their  proper  order  in  the 
column. 

Col.  Sevier  deservedly  bore  the  name  of  being  a  strict  disciplin- 
arian; he  insisted  upon  rigid  compliance  with  every  regulation  and 
was  particularly  attentive  to  the  little  things,  which  are  com- 
monly beHeved  to  make  perfection.  A  soldier  who  failed  to  salute 
properly,  or  who  wore  his  coat  unbuttoned,  or  who  broke  other 
regulations  concerning  minor  matters,  was  sure  of  a  stern  repri- 
mand and  might  consider  himself  fortunate  if  his  penalty  proceeded 


106  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

no  farther.  This  strictness  on  the  ColoneFs  part  had  much  to  do 
with  winning  for  the  regiment  their  admirable  reputation  as  well- 
disciplined  soldiers. 

Battery  commanders  and  first  sergeants,  however,  did  not 
relish  the  task  of  carrying  out  the  Colonel's  orders  relative  to  pun- 
ishments for  infraction  of  minor  regulations.  If  a  sergeant  failed 
to  salute  in  accordance  with  the  regimental  standards,  or  if  he 
inadvertently  allowed  his  blouse  to  go  unbuttoned,  he  was  liable 
to  be  *' busted''  or  reduced  to  the  ranks.  It  sometimes  happened 
that  an  excellent  gun-commander  or  telephone  sergeant  would 
fail  in  little  things.  Since  a  gun-commander  or  telephone  sergeant 
must  be  born  to  the  work  and  could  not  be  manufactured  by 
human  instrumentality,  his  reduction  to  the  ranks  occasioned  seri- 
ous interference  with  battery  efficiency;  his  place  could  not  be 
filled  over-night.  Moreover,  the  first  sergeants  were  often  inti- 
mate friends  of  their  careless  or  unfortunate  brother  non-com- 
missioned officers,  and  were  loath  to  inflict  the  penalties  which 
were  commanded;  the  human  equation  interfered  with  the  smooth 
running  of  the  disciplinary  system.  Humorous  complications 
sometimes  occurred. 

In  connection  with  leaving  Romeny,  1st  Sgt.  Mclsaac  of  Bat. 
F  promulgated  a  rule,  which  made  greatly  for  stability  of  tenure 
amongst  the  non-commissioned  officers  of  his  battery;  a  sergeant 
and  a  corporal  reported  to  the  first  sergeant  that  the  Colonel 
had  "busted"  them — in  the  sergeant's  case  for  wearing  the  blouse 
unbuttoned,  and  in  the  corporal's  for  some  similar  offense;  Sgt. 
Mclsaac  replied,  "As  soon  as  the  Colonel  issues  a  written  order  re- 
ducing you,  you  will  consider  yourselves  'busted,'  and  not  before 
then."  The  first  sergeant  never  saw  such  an  order;  and  both 
non-commissioned  officers  held  their  rank  until  discharged  from 
the  service.  Another  first  sergeant,  who  must  be  nameless,  adopted 
a  different  method  of  inflicting  punishments  which  had  been  ordered 
from  "higher  up."  A  corporal  reported  at  the  company  office 
that  the  Colonel  was  displeased  with  his  lack  of  promptness  in 
saluting  and  that  he  was  ordered  to  do  two  hours'  extra  drill, 
with  a  view  to  perfecting  himself  in  military  courtesy.  Quoth 
the  "top":  "You  are  an  old  soldier  and  know  all  about  saluting — 
you  are  tired;  go  and  lie  down,  and  sleep  for  two  hours." 

Up  the  Marne,  thru  Chdteau-Thierry,  Mont  St.  Pdre  and  Barzy 
to  Passy  lay  the  route  of  the  day's  march,  with  the  2d  Batl.  follow- 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ^^ Oise-Aisne  Offensive*^  107 

ing  the  3d.  Col.  Sevier  passed  from  one  end  of  the  long  column 
to  the  other,  endeavoring  to  keep  everyone  moving,  stirring  up 
the  laggards  and  correcting  any  who  might  be  out  of  place.  The 
Colonel  was  not  always  quick  to  remember  faces;  and  one  truck- 
load  of  men  reported  that  they  had  been  stopped,  questioned,  and 
admonished  by  him  four  separate  times  in  succession,  he  apparently 
regarding  them  as  four  distinct  detachments.  At  the  final  en- 
counter he  declared  that  their  battery  was  "scattered  all  over 
France,"  and  that  he  ''gave  up."  The  leading  vehicles  reached 
Passy  about  5  p.  m.  ;  and  officers  at  once  selected  camp-sites,  truck- 
and  gun-parks,  while  enlisted  men  went  promptly  to  work  digging 
latrines.  Presently,  everything  being  ready,  Maj.  Wilson  started 
back  to  ascertain  why  his  truck  column  had  not  appeared.  He 
found  the  3d  Batl.  barely  crawling  thru  Chd,teau-Thierry  because 
of  ''lame"  trucks;  while  the  2d,  forbidden  to  pass  the  3d,  had 
turned  into  a  convenient  field  beside  the  road  and  the  men  were 
sound  asleep.  The  Major  interrupted  their  slumbers  by  speaking 
a  few  eloquent  words,  and  soon  had  them  in  motion  once  more; 
and  the  entire  column  was  in  Passy  by  day-break  of  Aug.  15. 
Meanwhile  the  men  who  arrived  first  at  Passy  did  not  enjoy  any 
too  placid  a  night;  they  were  sleeping  right  out  under  the  open 
sky,  and  over-head,  they  could  hear  the  distinctive  drone  of  the  non- 
synchronizing  motors,  which  was  characteristic  of  enemy  aero- 
planes— bombing  was  actually  done  farther  down  the  river  valley. 
The  Colonel  was  careful  to  enforce  camouflage  discipline  and  ordered 
all  anti-aircraft  rapid-fire  guns  to  be  manned  and  in  constant 
readiness,  and  he  utterly  forbade  the  showing  of  any  lights.  The 
cook  had,  by  great  effort,  prepared  a  kitchen  and  was  heating 
coffee,  when  he  was  commanded  instantly  to  put  out  the  fire;  for 
it  was  attracting  Gothas  and  would  bring  bombs  upon  the  camp. 
Two  minutes  later  the  threatening  noise  proved  to  be  made  by  a 
distant  railway  train,  somewhere  across  the  river;  and  everyone 
wondered  whether  the  false  alarm  would  cost  them  their  coffee. 
It  developed  that  the  cook  was  a  genius  especially  qualified  to 
grapple  with  war  conditions — altho  he  lost  his  fire,  in  some  unex- 
plained manner  he  managed  to  save  the  heat  in  the  coffee. 

Many  officers  and  men  enjoyed  a  refreshing  swim  in  the  Marne 
during  the  day;  but,  by  and  by,  the  Surgeon  decided  that  the  river 
was  dangerous  and  stopped  the  sport.  Exploration  proved  highly 
interesting  in  the  ruins  of  Passy  and  in  the  battle-field  on  the  hills 


108  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

above  the  village.  A  mass  of  rubbish  indicated  where  a  house 
had  stood;  and  it  was  explained  to  the  Americans  that  a  French 
artilleryman  owned  the  edifice  and  had  himself  shot  it  to  pieces 
from  across  the  river  when,  a  month  earlier,  it  was  serving  as 
shelter  for  the  enemy.  While  the  village  church  had  been  reduced 
to  ruins,  by  one  of  those  miracles  so  frequent  at  the  front  the 
crucifix  remained  entirely  uninjured.  From  the  hills  the  enemy 
had  launched  their  final,  ill-fated  offensive  of  July  15;  and  on  the 
same  ground  their  machine-gun  battalions  had  engaged  in  a 
stubborn  rear-guard  action  to  retard  the  American  Offensive  on 
July  18  and  19.  The  machine-gunners,  Bavarians,  had  fought 
hard  and  then  retreated  precipitately,  leaving  most  of  their  ma- 
teriel behind  them;  some  of  the  dead  remained  unburied.  Letters 
were  scattered  about;  and  many  of  them  contained  words  of  con- 
gratulation upon  the  good  fortune  which  the  recipients  were  ex- 
pected soon  to  enjoy,  as  they  would  carry  out  their  projected  visit 
to  Paris.  Alas!  the  congratulations  were  premature.  The  55th  were 
able  to  indulge  their  passion  for  souvenirs  almost  without  limit. 

Special  difficulties  developed  during  the  night  of  Aug.  15-16, 
due  to  the  prohibition  of  lights.  It  was  after  dark  when  orders 
were  issued  for  the  movement  of  the  morrow.  Sentries  had  been 
commanded  to  shoot  whenever  they  saw  a  light  amongst  the 
troops,  and  were  ready  to  obey  the  command;  on  the  other  hand, 
the  battalion  adjutants  must  copy  these  orders  for  their  batteries, 
and  all  officers  must  learn  the  contents  of  them.  One  adjutant, 
Capt.  Kircher,  had  to  crawl  into  his  pup-tent  and  wrap  a  blanket 
about  his  head  and,  under  that,  read  and  copy  the  order  with  the 
aid  of  a  flash-lamp — a  hot  and  stuffy  job.  The  battalions  were  to 
get  away  next  morning  ''promptly."  Orders  must  be  framed  in 
conformity  with  the  existing  arrangement  of  the  trucks;  so  each 
truck  had  to  be  visited  and  identified  in  the  darkness.  The  search 
revealed  one  refreshing  sight — Lt.  Camm  was  soundly  sleeping 
under  a  truck,  with  his  bedding-roll  spread  out  and  with  clean, 
white  sheets  and  pillow-case,  in  the  middle  of  an  open  field. 

Promptly  at  6  a.  m.  on  Aug.  16  the  column  started,  the  route 
lying  northward  thru  Treloup,  the  For^t  de  Riz,  Cierges,  Cou- 
longes,  Cohan,  and  then  branching  off  to  the  eastward  and  stopping 
in  the  vicinity  of  Arcis  le  Ponsart,  a  town  just  across  the  line  in 
the  Department  of  the  Marne;  this  route  was  along  the  principal 
line  of  the  3d  Corps'  attack  in  July  and  led  thru  one  continuous 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  " Oise-Aisne  Offensive^'  109 

battle-field,  amidst  villages  which  were  badly  "shot  to  pieces"  by 
both  American  and  German  artillery.  Just  south  of  Coulonges 
they  passed  the  grave  of  Lt.  Quentin  Roosevelt,  who  had  fallen  in 
an  air-battle  on  July  14  and  whose  burial-place  was  already  an 
object  of  pilgrimage.  Shortly  after  leaving  Passy,  the  cry  of 
"Gas"  was  raised;  and  everyone  put  on  his  gas-mask — all  except 
one  officer  who  had  disobeyed  orders  and  did  not  have  his  mask 
with  him,  and  who  was  forced  to  jump  out  of  the  car  and  wait  by 
the  roadside  more  than  an  hour,  and  then  make  most  violent 
exertions  in  order  to  overtake  the  column.  There  in  the  ditch  lay 
a  dark  object,  from  which  heavy  white  clouds  were  issuing;  every 
soldier  along  the  road,  both  French  and  American,  had  heeded 
the  warning  and  was  wearing  his  mask.  Maj.  C.  R.  Wilson  in- 
vestigated. The  container  had  been  hit  by  one  of  the  trucks  and 
broken  open  as  it  lay  beside  the  road ;  and  there  was  no  doubt  about 
the  vapor  which  poured  out.  But  there  was  no  suspicious  odor, 
no  smell  whatever.  Finally  it  dawned  on  the  investigators  that 
the  whitish  vapor  enveloping  the  country-side  was  merely  "arti- 
ficial fog,"  and  entirely  harmless;  then,  for  the  first  time,  they 
noticed  two  French  peasants  tilling  a  field  near  the  "gas "-can  and 
yet  entirely  unaffected  by  the  fumes;  masks  were  at  once  removed. 
The  regiment  had  a  useful  gas-drill. 

Arriving  about  noon,  the  battalions  occupied  the  rest-camp  areas, 
which  had  been  selected  by  their  artillery-scouts,  the  2d  Batl.  at 
the  Maison  Forestiere  near  Abbaye  d'Igny,  close  to  the  rest-camp 
which  the  1st  Batl.  had  established  eight  days  previously,  and  the 
3d  Batl.  near  Coulonges.  Nothing  exciting  occurred,  excepting  to 
the  regimental  section;  they  blandly  moved  right  into  Arcis  le  Pon- 
sart  during  one  of  the  rare  moments  when  German  shells  were  not 
falUng  there,  and  established  themselves  in  the  Mairie.  Trucks 
were  parked  under  such  slight  camouflage  as  was  afforded  by  a  small 
orchard;  the  registry  of  deeds  was  cleared  out  (to  the  infinite  detri- 
ment of  French  title-searching  during  ensuing  years);  and  all 
preparations  were  made  to  set  up  the  regimental  post  of  command 
("the  p.  c.");  all  this  time  the  enemy  obligingly  withheld  fire,  not 
revealing  that  the  spot  was  one  of  the  most  dangerous  in  all  France. 
Overhead  flew  Hun  planes,  carefully  noting  the  arrival  of  strangers 
in  Arcis.  Meanwhile  the  higher  officers  of  the  28th  Division,  who 
had  to  remain  in  the  village  for  strategic  reasons,  did  not  relish  the 
invasion  by  others  who  could  go  elsewhere  and  whose  presence  was 


110  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

certain  to  draw  fire;  and  they  set  machinery  in  motion  to  oust  the 
55th.  About  4  p.  m.  an  order  came  from  "very  high  up,"  directing 
the  55th  to  establish  their  post  of  command  elsewhere;  and  out  they 
went  and  back  along  the  road  to  the  spot  already  occupied  by  the 
2d  Batl.  They  did  not  leave  Arcis  le  Ponsart  any  too  soon  to  escape 
a  vicious  storm  of  German  shells,  upon  the  very  spot  where  they  had 
calmly  rested  during  the  preceding  four  hours.  With  the  aid  of  the 
2d  Batl.  officers  the  regimental  section  soon  became  settled  beneath 
the  trees  of  a  magnificent  forest;  and  barely  had  themselves  under 
cover  when  a  German  observation  plane  flew  over — but  they  were 
secure  at  last.  For  a  majority  of  the  55th,  the  night  of  Aug.  16-17 
was  their  first  experience  of  shell-fire  and  aerial  bombardment;  and 
they  met  the  test  like  veterans.  Perhaps  they  did  not  really  appre- 
ciate the  greatness  of  the  peril. 

It  was  on  this  same  day  that  the  dental  Surgeon  made  his  classic 
mistake.  As  he  approached  Arcis  le  Ponsart  in  an  auto  belonging 
to  the  regimental  section — or  to  be  exact,  when  his  driver  had  missed 
the  correct  turn  and  had  gone  a  few  rods  north  of  that  shell-stricken 
town — he  chanced  to  be  directly  abreast  of  a  well-concealed  French 
marine  battery  just  as  one  of  the  huge  guns  fired.  The  dentist  had 
never  learned  the  difference  in  sound  between  a  going  shell  and  one 
that  was  coming.  The  blast  of  the  gun  was  certainly  terrific. 
Thinking  that  a  German  shell  had  fallen — if  he  thought  at  all — the 
little  man  leaped  out  of  the  car,  while  the  latter  was  still  going,  and 
was  last  seen  running  back  up  the  road  with  his  overcoat  fluttering 
in  the  wind,  and  shouting,  "TheyVe  got  us,  they've  got  us.''  He 
returned  to  duty  later  in  the  day. 

An  officer  of  the  1st  Batl.  described  his  sensations  upon  his  first 
introduction  to  the  bombers:  "To  add  to  our  horrors,  big  Gotha 
bombing-planes  flew  up  and  down  the  valley  (of  the  Ardre)  all 
night,  sowing  their  hellish  missiles  among  the  battery.  I  never 
knew  before  what  terror  could  be.  We  had  all  been  so  busy  that  no 
cover  trenches  for  us  existed;  so  it  was  simply  a  case  of  lying  flat  on 
the  ground  with  your  face  down  and  with  your  helmet  on  the  back 
of  your  head,  waiting,  while  the  fiendish  Brrrhhrrr  peculiar  to  the 
Gotha  buzzed  overhead.  Occasionally  the  aviators  would  drop  big 
star-shells  to  light  up  the  terrain,  and  then  would  come  three,  five, 
or  even  more  blinding  flashes  of  light  and  deafening  noise;  and  you 
longed  to  pull  the  covers  over  your  head,  hugged  the  ground,  and 
prayed — prayed."    After  a  few  days  of  such  experience,  the  55th 


With  the  Sd  Corps  in  the  ^' Oise-Aisne  Offensive'*  111 

became  more  philosophical  about  it  and  adopted  the  following  view : 
"If  the  bomb  hits  us,  we  shall  never  know  what  struck  us;  if  it  does 
not  hit  us,  there  is  no  harm  done.    In  either  case,  why  worry?'' 

Roads  in  the  vicinity  of  Arcis  le  Ponsart  were  under  direct  ob- 
servation of  the  enemy;  and  great  caution  was  required  in  traversing 
them.  If  one's  truck  or  auto  broke  down,  one  was  in  danger  of  a 
shelling  during  the  process  of  repairs;  while  the  dead  horses  in  either 
ditch  were  clear  indication  of  what  had  been  happening  recently. 
A  nervous  chauffeur  was  useless  amid  such  circumstances,  and  the 
favorite  driver  was  the  one  who  had  been  trained  on  the  auto  race- 
track and  who  could  turn  a  corner  at  top  speed,  on  two  wheels. 
Altho  the  enemy  gunners  could  no  longer  see  their  target  after  night- 
fall, they  kept  up  a  series  of  chance  shots  thruout  the  hours  of  dark- 
ness. In  the  perfect  blackness  of  night,  two  Nash-Quad  trucks 
chanced  to  meet  on  the  narrow  road  near  regimental  Headquarters. 
Stopping  about  six  inches  from  each  other,  the  drivers  engaged  in 
heated  argument;  and  there  seemed  imminent  danger  that  a  fight 
would  develop.  A  large  shell  suddenly  landed  in  the  field  near  the 
road ;  and  the  flash  of  its  explosion  brilliantly  illuminated  the  entire 
scene — road,  trucks,  and  drivers  with  clenched  fists  and  uplifted 
arms.  Quick  as  the  flash,  came  a  suggestion  of  one  of  the  disputants : 
"Well,  partner,  get  on  your  truck;  with  the  next  one  we'll  have  light 
enough  so  that  we  can  see  to  pass."  And  sure  enough,  the  event 
proved  the  wisdom  of  the  plan;  the  trucks  passed  each  other  by  shell- 
light. 

An  enemy  plane,  about  three  hundred  meters  over-head,  chased 
the  auto  of  the  regimental  commander  down  an  unscreened  road  one 
day,  and  continued  the  pursuit  for  several  kilometers,  all  the  time 
spraying  the  vehicle  with  machine-gun  fire.  The  car  escaped  by 
hiding  under  a  tree.  The  aviator  then  hunted  around  until  he  found 
the  rest-camp  of  the  1st  Batl. ;  there  he  directed  his  fire  against  the 
cooks,  who  were  enjoying  a  siesta  after  a  hard  night's  work.  In 
spite  of  the  wrath  occasioned  by  the  annoying  intrusion,  the  dis- 
turbed ones  could  not  fire  back;  for  other  units  were  busy  installing 
guns  nearby,  and  the  latter  would  be  endangered  if  their  presence 
became  noted. 

Aug.  17  brought  the  regiment  its  first  mail,  at  the  front,  and 
thereafter,  every  day,  the  Chaplain  or  his  assistant  made  a  long 
journey  by  auto  or  truck  and  followed  the  movable  post-office 


Scale:  2  miles ->!  inch 


E.  A.  Kircher 


Signal  Corps  Photo 
Our  Projectiles 


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Orienting  the  Battery 


Signal  Corps  Photo 


P0LI8HING  the  Breech 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ^' Oise-Aisne  Offensive'^  113 

about  from  town  to  town,  so  as  to  secure  the  regimental  mail- 
bags  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 

Another  twenty-four  hours  elapsed  before  the  2d  and  3d  Batl. 
guns  could  be  brought  into  position;  they  were  left  under  the  trees 
while  the  Commanding  Officers  reconnoitered  suitable  positions  for 
them  and  the  orienteurs  laid  out  base-lines.  On  Aug.  18  they  were 
put  in  position,  and  on  the  19th  were  ready  to  fire.  Batteries  A  and 
B  had  already  established  themselves  to  the  eastward  of  Arcis  le 
Ponsart,  on  the  Crugny  road;  and  while  Bat.  A  was  shelled  out  of 
its  original  position  and  had  to  move  a  few  hundred  yards  into  a 
neighboring  valley,  where  there  was  better  shelter,  Bat.  B  was  able 
to  keep  its  first  position  during  its  entire  stay  on  the  Vesle.  When- 
ever our  fire  became  especially  troublesome,  the  enemy  would  start 
counter-battery  work — aimed  at  Bat.  A's  abandoned  emplacement; 
they  continued  wasting  $30,000  worth  of  ammunition  a  day  on  that 
particular  spot,  with  no  damage  whatever  to  us,  and  never  discov- 
ered that  there  was  no  longer  any  target.  Batteries  C  and  D  were 
directly  north  of  Arcis  le  Ponsart,  on  the  Courville  road,  and  there 
they  remained  until  toward  the  last,  when  they  followed  the  re- 
treating enemy  farther  north.  Bat.  C  was  more  to  the  north, 
behind  a  hill  in  Le  Grand  Etang,  which  afforded  good  flash  defilade; 
according  to  artillery  rules,  the  guns  should  have  been  placed  in  a 
patch  of  woods  a  little  to  the  south,  but  they  actually  stood  in  the 
open  and  were  merely  covered  by  camouflage  screening.  This  de- 
parture from  custom  proved  their  salvation,  however;  as  the 
Germans  grew  very  provoked  one  day  and  bombarded  heavily — 
sending  all  of  the  shots  in  amongst  the  pine-trees,  where  the  Ameri- 
cans ought  to  have  been  but  were  not.  Batteries  E  and  F  estab- 
lished themselves  due  west  of  Arcis  le  Ponsart,  and  east  of  Dravegny, 
in  a  sheltered  valley;  they  were  able  to  remain  until  they,  too,  had 
to  follow  the  retreating  foe  northward;  Bat.  E  was  north  of  Bat.  F. 
The  battalion  post  of  command  was  nearby  in  the  Longeville  Farm- 
house. Officers  and  men  alike  slept  in  ''fox-holes"  dug  into  the  hill- 
side, or  in  dug-outs  excavated  in  the  nearest  bank,  with  the  openings, 
if  possible,  away  from  Germany.  The  regimental  post  of  command 
in  the  Maison  Forestiere  near  the  Abbaye  was  quite  comfortable, 
even  if  it  was  not  safe;  when  the  bandsmen  had  been  given  picks 
and  shovels  and  directed  to  use  their  new  instruments,  they  pre- 
sently brought  a  large  abri  into  existence  and  rendered  the  regi- 
mental Headquarters  safe  as  well  as  convenient.     The  musicians 


114  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

never  enjoyed  this  new  development  in  their  branch  of  the  service, 
but  they  had  a  great  deal  of  digging  to  do  during  the  months  at  the 
front.  They  also  became  skilled  lumbermen,  as  they  chopped  down 
hundreds  of  trees  in  the  process  of  preparing  log  roofs  for  the  bomb- 
proofs. 

In  accordance  with  prevailing  theories,  the  batteries  were  lo- 
cated about  eight  miles  from  their  targets  and  were  thus  brought 
some  five  miles  from  the  German  front  line;  an  interval  of  three 
miles  intervened  between  the  regimental  post  of  command  and  the 
batteries. 

Near  the  top  of  the  hill  opposite  the  Bat.  E  guns  was  a  cave,  which 
served  as  battery  commander's  post  and  as  quarters  for  the  gun- 
crews; it  was  deep  and  solid,  and  secure  against  shells.  The  narrow 
entrance  widened  after  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet;  and  the  main 
part,  branching  off  to  the  left,  penetrated  forty  feet  farther  into  the 
earth,  while  a  number  of  smaller  alcoves  radiated  from  it.  The 
largest  alcove  formed  the  battery  post  of  command ;  and  the  rest  of 
the  cave  gave  shelter  to  sixty  men.  It  was  necessary  to  stoop  when 
one  moved  around,  and  steel  helmets  were  worn  as  a  protection 
against  the  roof;  the  latter  was  all  the  rougher  because  of  the  beams 
by  which  it  was  supported.  In  the  day-time  the  place  was  a  hot, 
steaming,  greasy  hole,  swarming  with  flies,  smelling  of  sweat  and 
army  slum,  and  loud  with  the  distinctive  vocabulary  of  the  A.  E.  F. ; 
at  night  it  was  cold  and  wet,  having  the  mingled  scent  of  damp  rock 
and  mud,  acetylene,  shoe-less  feet  and  the  roast  flies  who  had  strayed 
into  the  flame  of  the  candles.  The  noisy  snoring  of  tired  men  and 
the  irregular  buzz  of  the  telephones  were  the  opposite  of  a  lullaby 
for  him  who  chanced  to  lie  awake. 

At  the  cave  Bat.  E  had  their  experience  with  civilian  camp-follow- 
ers. A  pair  of  aged  French  peasants  dwelt  there  with  their  grand- 
son, eating  what  they  could  get  from  the  battery  kitchen  and  sleep- 
ing far  underground.  The  lad  kept  outside  during  the  day  and  re- 
turned each  evening.  He  regularly  drew  upon  himself  the  vixenish 
wrath  of  the  old  woman;  and  as  her  voice  had  grown  shriller  with 
advancing  age,  her  tirade  became  a  nuisance  to  the  Americans. 
**For  heaven's  sake,  shut  up  that  old  Frog  woman  until  I  get  this 
fire-order,"  the  telephone  operator  would  cry;  and  someone  would 
try  to  appease  the  wrath  of  **  Aglaia"  long  enough  to  let  the  war  go 
on.  No  wonder  that  her  brilliance  was  dimmed,  after  four  horrible 
years  of  such  life! 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ^' Oise-Aisne  Offensive^^  115 

Bat.  E  at  the  Longeville  Farm  had  trouble  with  their  aiming- 
posts;  the  latter,  which  ought  to  be  absolutely  immovable,  kept 
changing  position  and  sliding  down-hill.  In  accordance  with  the 
system  of  gun-laying  which  prevailed  in  the  American  artillery, 
when  the  gunner  could  not  see  the  actual  target  he  directed  his 
goniometer  toward  a  stake  of  which  the  compass-bearing  was  known, 
and  from  that  measured  off  the  necessary  angle  to  the  point  on  the 
map  at  which  he  was  firing.  Of  course  the  aiming-post  must  be 
absolutely  fixed  in  position.  The  28th  Division  infantry  were  not 
aware  of  the  importance  of  the  stakes,  and  merely  regarded  them  as 
handy  aids  in  climbing  the  slippery  hill-side;  so  that  it  became 
needful  to  educate  the  infantry  before  the  artillery  could  fire.  Night 
fog  also  interfered  with  the  sighting;  the  lamps  which  were  lighted 
on  the  aiming-posts  were  rendered  invisible.  A  second  set  of  stakes 
had  to  be  set  up,  very  close  to  the  guns — only  twelve  yards  away. 

While  shells  kept  passing  over  the  3d  Batl.'s  valley,  few  came 
close  enough  to  cause  alarm.  Horses  were  frightened,  and  some- 
times killed,  in  the  adjacent  fields.  There  was  no  lack  of  excite- 
ment in  observing  the  shelling  of  the  main  road ;  and  the  latter  lost 
popularity  as  a  pleasure  route.  A  bomb  fell  about  thirty  yards 
from  a  well,  at  which  a  battery  truck-driver  was  busy  drawing 
water  to  fill  canteens;  as  pellets  of  turf  and  mud  commenced  to  fall 
on  the  soldier's  helmet,  they  aroused  him  to  action;  up  the  ravine 
he  raced  at  full  speed,  dropping  his  fifteen  water-bottles,  and  shout- 
ing, ''They're  after  me."  Not  until  the  next  morning  was  he  able 
to  settle  down  again  to  routine  work. 

The  regimental  dressing-station  was  set  up  in  the  ruined  buildings 
of  the  Abbaye  d'Igny,  where  the  28th  Division  military  police  and 
ambulance  company  were  already  established,  and  with  the  doctor 
went  the  Chaplain  and  his  post-office.  The  Abbaye,  a  Cistercian- 
Trappist  monastery  dating  back  to  1127  and  standing  on  the  site 
of  a  vastly  older  Roman  temple,  had  comprized  a  group  of  beauti- 
ful, brown  sandstone  buildings;  on  one  side  of  the  road  was  the 
cloister  in  which  the  monks  had  resided  and  where  they  maintained 
a  hospital  in  pre-war  days,  and  on  the  other  stood  a  famous  choco- 
late-factory, the  principal  source  of  monastic  income.  The  structure 
had  served  as  a  hospital  for  the  French  during  nearly  four  years  of 
struggle  along  the  Chemin  des  Dames,  and  latterly  had  been  used 
by  the  enemy  for  similar  purposes ;  the  military  cemetery  contained 
over  one  hundred  graves,  the  former  foemen  lying  peacefully  side 


116  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

by  side.  On  Aug.  14,  an  American  grave  had  been  dug  beside  the 
French;  and  Cpl.  John  F.  Clancy  of  Bat.  B,  first  of  the  55th  to  fall 
in  action,  had  been  laid  to  rest,  the  last  rites  being  performed  by  a 
kindly  French  priest,  who  was  himself  serving  as  a  private  in  his 
own  army. 

A  comrade  told  the  story  of  Cpl.  Clancy's  death  in  these  words : 
"We  were  all  crouching  in  the  protection  of  our  guns  when  Crrr- 
ummpp!  another  shell  went  off;  and  a  poor  fellow  began  moaning  up 
near  the  machine-guns.  A  couple  of  us  rushed  up  the  little  hill; 
and  when  I  got  to  him,  he  was  sobbing  something  about  '  They've 
hurt  me — oh,  fix  me  up.'  I  noticed  his  breeches  were  torn  and  that 
he  was  bloody  around  the  waist,  but  I  tried  to  reassure  him  and 
please  him  by  telling  him  he'd  have  the  first  wound  stripe  in  the 
battery.  Meanwhile  another  man  and  I  lifted  him  and  carried  him 
back  into  the  gun-pit.  He  died  right  there  while  Lt.  Royer  band- 
aged him;  but  we  carried  the  thing  thru  for  the  sake  of  the  men." 

When  the  Germans  made  their  hasty  retreat,  they  undertook  to 
render  the  Abbaye  useless  for  the  victors,  and  deliberately  mined 
it  with  dynamite  and,  so  far  as  they  could,  reduced  it  to  ruins. 
Following  their  thrifty  custom,  they  had  previously  stolen  all  the 
most  valuable  machinery  from  the  chocolate  fahrique.  When,  pre- 
sently, the  Red  Cross  opened  a  station  at  the  Abbaye,  they  wrought 
a  modification  of  the  proverb  about  "carrying  coals  to  Newcastle," 
for  they  carried  chocolate  to  Abbaye  d'Igny. 

Aug.  18  fell  on  Sunday;  as  the  55th  were  too  busy  establishing 
their  guns  to  permit  of  church  services,  they  left  the  Chaplain 
free  to  accept  invitations  elsewhere.  It  happened  that  the  28th 
Divisional  troops  at  the  Abbaye  d'Igny  had  been  deprived  of  re- 
ligious opportunities  for  many  weeks  and  were  ready  to  welcome 
the  Massachusetts  Chaplain,  as  cordially  as  if  he  had  come  from 
Philadelphia;  and  thus  the  Abbaye  became  a  center  of  religious 
work  from  the  outset.  On  that  Sunday  afternoon,  the  enemy 
also  took  part,  sending  over  three  shells  just  as  the  sermon  was 
beginning;  but  while  the  shells  did  some  damage  to  a  field  battery 
on  the  neighboring  hill,  they  were  impotent  to  stop  proceedings 
under  the  Abbaye  trees.  This  was  an  ideal  spot  for  all  sorts  of 
welfare  work,  as  it  was  situated  in  a  hollow,  where  shells  were 
more  apt  to  pass  over  than  to  strike;  and  in  point  of  fact,  while 
the  ground  all  around  was  pitted  by  artillery  and  aerial  bombard- 
ment, the  ruined  buildings  escaped  entirely.    The  28th  Division 


With  the  8d  Corps  in  the  ^'Oise-Aisne  Offensive"  117 

presently  awoke  to  the  availability  of  the  Abbaye  for  such  uses, 
and  moved  their  "delousing  plant"  thither — and  generously  placed 
all  the  facilities  at  the  disposal  of  the  55th.  Some  of  the  enemy 
dynamite  having  failed  to  explode,  two  or  three  of  the  rooms  were 
left  intact,  and  afforded  protection  against  inclement  weather; 
as  soon  as  the  explosive  had  been  removed  and  the  building  rend- 
ered safe,  these  apartments  were  occupied  by  the  Red  Cross  and 
the  sales  Quartermaster  and  the  medical  department — and  an  old 
organ,  left  in  the  building  by  the  monks,  alternated  with  the  Chap- 
lain's Edison  in  weaving  the  charm  of  music  about  the  spot. 

After  the  Divisional  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  the  28th  settled  at  the  Abbaye, 
there  was  a  yet  greater  abundance  of  welfare  and  religious  work, 
the  secretaries  and  the  Chaplain  combining  forces;  several  excel- 
lent entertainments  were  given,  and  one  or  two  week-night  reli- 
gious meetings  were  conducted.  Presently  two  soldiers  applied 
for  Christian  baptism,  and  duly  received  that  sacrament.  The 
only  drawback  to  this  arrangement,  from  the  artilleryman's  point 
of  view,  was  that  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  55th  could  be 
spared  from  the  guns,  so  as  to  enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  Abbaye; 
consequently  the  Chaplain  devoted  Sundays  to  visiting  the  bat- 
teries and  meeting  the  needs  of  the  men,  where  the  bulk  of  his 
parishioners  actually  were.  Sometimes  a  battery  would  be  firing, 
and  unable  to  stop  for  religious  worship,  even  on  Sunday,  and 
always  there  was  likelihood  that  the  battery  would  be  fired  at; 
but  it  was  almost  always  possible  to  hold  some  kind  of  meeting 
in  a  dug-out  or  under  the  gun-camouflage.  Congregations  were 
often  small  at  the  outset — only  twelve  or  fifteen;  but  as  the  ser- 
vice progressed,  more  and  more  men  came  in,  dressed  in  their 
blue  working  overalls.  Finally  almost  all  the  available  members 
of  the  battery  were  seated  on  the  ground  or  on  the  gun  itself, 
reverent  and  attentive.  Before  and  after  services,  the  men  would 
crowd  in  with  all  sorts  of  needs,  which  the  Chaplain  could  help 
supply.  One  day  four  callers,  each  coming  independently  of  the 
others,  were  seated  on  the  Chaplain's  trunk  and  cot  at  the  same 
time — the  first  was  visiting  the  postmaster  (the  Chaplain),  to 
inquire  why  he  did  not  receive  letters  more  regularly;  the  second 
asked  how  he  should  proceed  in  order  to  get  the  use  of  the  28th 
Division  baths;  the  third  desired  to  have  a  personal  letter  confi- 
dentially censored,  without  the  necessity  of  allowing  his  company 
officer  to  read  it  (the  Chaplain  was  chief  censor);  and  the  fourth 


118  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

was  an  applicant  for  Christian  baptism.  In  spite  of  the  versatility 
demanded, in  meeting  these  requests,  all  were  duly  attended  to. 
Lt.  Roth  described  a  Sunday  at  Arcis  le  Ponsart  in  these  words : 
^'Our  first  service  on  the  front  was  very  impressive.  The  Chap- 
lain came  around  that  first  Sunday  morning  about  10.30  and 
asked,  'May  we  have  services  this  morning  without  interfering 
with  the  work?'  Battery  commander  said  we  could  and  sent  out 
runners  to  tell  all  of  the  men  to  come  in  to  church.  Some,  of 
course,  had  to  stay  with  the  guns,  ammunition,  etc.,  but  most  of 
them  could  come  in.  In  our  little  sheltered  ravine  in  front  of  the 
Captain's  dug-out  (we  were  then  dug  into  the  bank  instead  of 
under  ground)  the  Chaplain  placed  a  powder  box,  and  over  this  he 
hung  his  silk  and  satin  affair  with  the  cross  on  it.  This  cross  fell 
over  the  front  of  the  powder  box  and  covered  it.  This  was  our 
altar.  Wherever  the  Chaplain  hangs  this  mantle  with  the  cross  on — 
there  is  our  altar.  He  stood  beside  it — officers  on  boards  across 
boxes,  in  front  of  it,  and  behind  us  the  men,  some  standing  but 
most  of  them  sitting  on  the  ground,  all  heads  uncovered.  The 
service  was  simple  but  so  impressive.  We  sang  'Onward  Chris- 
tian Soldiers.'  Everybody  sang.  Even  the  'rough-necks'  of  the 
battery.  I  started  to  sing  but  got  only  part  way  thru  the  first 
verse,  and  a  knot  tied  in  my  throat  and  I  couldn't  sing  any  more. 
I  glanced  at  the  Major,  and  he  had  stopped  and  was  biting  his 
under  lip.  I  wished  they  would  stop  singing,  for  hot  tears  were 
rolling  down  my  cheeks  and  some  of  the  officers'.  Silly,  wasn't 
it?  A  great  many  of  the  voices  had  dropped  out  by  the  time  we 
reached  the  third  verse — and  the  hymn  ended  quite  faintly.  I 
didn't  dare  look  back  at  the  men.  After  the  hymn  we  all  sat 
down,  and  the  Chaplain  took  a  moment  to  compose  himself. 
I  venture  to  say  that  in  the  silence  following  the  hymn  not  a 
few  thoughts  were  back  home.  But  the  cyclone  blew  over,  and 
we  got  back  to  the  service  again.  While  the  Chaplain  talked,  the 
guards  blew  the  two  whistles  (signal  for  boche  plane)  over-head. 
But  the  service  continued.  I  think  that  everyone  felt  that  he  was 
safe  with  head  uncovered  before  the  cross.  A  few  stragglers  who 
hadn't  been  notified  of  church  came  around  and,  seeing  what 
was  going  on,  removed  their  helmets  and  knelt  where  they  were, 
tho  they  were  behind  the  Chaplain  and  before  the  whole  assembly. 
We  ended  with  'Stand  up,  stand  up  for  Jesus,'  and  some  of  us 
chewed  our  under  lips  again.     The  Chaplain  pronounced  the 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  " Oise-Aisne  Offensive"  119 

familiar  benediction,  and  church  was  over,  and  we  went  back  to 
the  guns.  I  think  we  all  felt  better,  but  how  contradictory — to 
leave  church  and  run  to  the  guns  to  be  ready  to  open  fire.  Isn't 
this  a  crazy  world?" 

The  vicinity  of  the  Vesle  was  far  from  being  a  health-resort 
during  August  and  September  of  1918,  was  by  no  means  a  district 
where  one  could  live  the  "safe  and  sane"  life.  Merely  to  pass  thru 
Courville  or  Arcis  le  Ponsart  was  apt  to  be  an  adventure;  if  one 
were  on  foot,  he  would  often  need  to  shelter  himself  in  some  hole 
until  the  shelling  ''eased  up."  A  shell  struck  squarely  on  top  of 
the  dug-out  belonging  to  some  Bat.  C  men,  the  crew  of  the  "  Hunt- 
er"; fortunately  the  accident  happened  while  half  of  the  owners 
were  busily  at  work  on  the  gun  and  the  others  were  absent  eating 
breakfast.  Battalion  and  battery  commanders  sought  the  best 
available  shelter  for  their  posts  of  command;  sometimes  it  would 
be  a  mere  hole  in  the  ground,  exposed  to  showers  of  dirt  at  every 
nearby  explosion,  and  to  dribblings  of  water  leaking  thru  when  the 
weather  was  wet.  On  the  other  hand,  the  commanders  sometimes 
inherited  fine  bungalow-lodges,  provided  with  sheltering  caves, 
or  even  comfortable  and  protected  houses;  these  structures  had 
been  erected  by  the  enemy  during  his  term  of  occupancy,  and  were 
reluctantly  abandoned  to  the  conquering  American.  Just  as  surely, 
however,  as  an  artillery  officer  had  the  good  fortune  to  inherit  a 
comfortable  post  of  command,  he  was  presently  "ranked  out" 
of  it  by  some  infantry  general,  and  had  to  establish  himself  all 
over  again.  The  first  night  one  battalion  of  the  55th  spent  on  the 
Vesle,  the  Adjutant  spread  his  bedding-roll  outside  the  entrance 
of  a  cave,  hesitating  to  sleep  inside  because  of  the  wetness ;  toward 
day-break  he  was  awakened  by  a  shell  or  two,  exploding  near 
enough  to  him  to  sprinkle  him  with  earth,  and  he  decided  to  get 
into  that  cave  at  once.  Just  inside  the  entrance  he  stepped  on  the 
face  of  the  sleeping  Major.  There  were  wires  in  the  cave,  which 
emerged  from  the  earth  floor,  passed  over  pegs  and  buried  them- 
selves again  in  the  side-wall.  The  Americans,  their  minds  full  of 
the  stories  of  "booby-traps,"  and  respecting  the  orders  which  for- 
bade tampering  with  suspicious  works  of  all  sorts,  kept  as  far  away 
from  these  wires  as  possible.  So  they  were  relieved  as  well  as 
amused,  a  little  later,  when  they  saw  a  French  visitor  seize  the  wires 
with  a  cheerful  recklessness  and  tear  them  out,  scornfully  remark- 
ing that  the  "rotten  boche  had  still  more  rotten  rat-traps."    In- 


120  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

stances  occurred  where  officers  constructed  imitation  "booby- 
traps"  for  the  purpose  of  frightening  trespassers  from  their  dug- 
outs, especially  trespassers  of  higher  rank. 

All  three  battalions  presently  settled  their  Headquarters  in 
typical  French  ferme  houses,  with  rooms  on  two  floors  and  well- 
protected  cellars  where  everyone  could  take  refuge  under  heavy 
shelling,  and  with  large  outbuildings  joined  to  the  houses — all 
constructed  of  stone.  The  2d  Batl.  added  a  steel  ceiling  to  the 
room  where  the  officers  slept,  in  fact  an  iron  ceiling  so  strong  that 
it  would  retard  or  stop  anything  but  a  direct  hit.  The  1st  Batl. 
officers  were  presently  driven  to  dug-outs  in  the  edge  of  a  nearby 
valley;  and  the  3d  Batl.  commander  moved  to  a  deep  cave  in  his 
vicinity.  The  German  shells  only  twice  actually  struck  one  of 
these  farm-houses  so  as  to  work  demolition,  but  they  constantly 
came  uncomfortably  near;  underwear,  hanging  on  the  clothes- 
line, was  perforated  by  shell-fragments  and  became,  as  the  owner 
asserted,  "porous-knit";  cabbage  cooking  on  the  stove  was  spiced 
with  particles  of  steel  from  Germany;  every  auto  in  the  shed  quali- 
fied for  at  least  one  "wound  stripe";  and  windows  were  all  blown 
in  by  shell-concussions.  More  than  two  hundred  holes  were  made 
in  the  roof  of  the  2d  Batl.  Headquarters  by  shell-fragments  within 
three  weeks;  it  was  grim  sport  to  count  the  new  apertures  each 
morning.  Very  seldom  did  the  inmates  seek  refuge  in  the  cellar. 
When  a  gas-alarm  sounded  at  night,  one  adjutant  was  seen,  clad 
in  pajamas  and  a  gas-mask,  moving  about  and  looking  after  the 
welfare  of  the  men.  A  visiting  officer  was,  one  day,  telling  har- 
rowing tales  of  the  narrow  escapes  experienced  at  his  Headquarters 
when  a  big  one  fell  just  across  the  road  and  shook  up  the  whole 
building,  blowing  in  dust  and  gravel  thru  doors  and  windows. 
He  was  wordless  for  fully  two  minutes;  then  he  remarked,  "That 
was  close,  wasn't  it?" — there  were  no  more  anecdotes  that  day. 
One  shell  struck  within  five  feet  of  Lt.  Camm  and  Master  Gunner 
Chandler,  but  fortunately  it  proved  to  be  a  dud. 

On  the  very  crest  of  the  high  ridge  between  the  positions  of  the 
1st  and  the  2d  Battalions  was  the  observing  post,  "Turtle" — 
exposed,  dangerous,  but  commanding  a  magnificent  view  of  the 
field  of  fire.  From  its  225-meter  summit,  observers  could  plainly 
see  the  spires  of  Laon,  twenty-five  miles  away  to  the  northward. 
Occasionally  Turtle  would  call  up  a  battalion  post  of  command 
and  impart  the  information  that  the  battalion  was  being  shelled; 


KiTCHEx,  Hest-Camp  at  Maison  Fohestibre 


Office  of  Headquarters  Co.  at  Maison  Forestiere 


Signal  Corps  Photo 


Dravegny 


Siynal  Corps  P)wto 


FiRiNO  While  Wearing  Gas-Masks 


Reading  the  Shirt 


Signal  Corps  Photo 


Bathinq  a  la  a.  E.  F.  at  Abbaye  d'Iqny — Swimminq-Pool  at  Right 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  '^Oise-Aisne  Offensive^ ^  121 

as  this  fact  was  already  quite  obvious,  Turtle  was  instructed  to 
confine  his  gossip  to  regimental  Headquarters  (Barnum).  Pres- 
ently the  battalion  overheard  Turtle  saying,  ''They  are  shelling 
the  battalion  Headquarters  again,"  and  Barnum  replying,  ''Did 
they  hit?"  And  while  they  listened  for  the  reassuring  negative,  they 
kept  fervently  hoping  that  it  would  continue  true  after  the  next 
shot. 

One  night  before  light-proof  dug-outs  had  been  perfected, 
the  batteries  sent  word,  in  response  to  a  firing-order,  that  if  they 
lighted  any  lamps  by  which  to  figure  data,  they  would  draw  bombs 
from  the  enemy  planes  over-head.  So  the  staff  at  Elephant  had 
to  work  out  their  first  firing-problem  since  they  left  school  at 
Mailly,  passing  around  the  one  log-book  and  range-table  which 
they  possessed,  and  checking  back  and  forth  on  the  targets,  Maizy 
and  Cuiry-les-Chaudardes — down  in  the  bomb-proof  cellar.  Con- 
ditions were  highly  unfavorable  for  concentrated  thought;  but  the 
"trick"  was  done. 

In  theory,  no  "offensive"  was  under  way  between  Aug.  6  and 
18,  the  principal  fighting  during  that  period  taking  place  on  the 
Somme,  far  to  the  northward  of  where  the  55th  were  stationed; 
but  Cpl.  Clancy's  death  as  a  result  of  shell-fire,  together  with  nar- 
row escapes  on  the  part  of  many  others,  led  to  a  feeling  that  an 
"offensive"  could  not  be  much  more  active  than  what  they  were 
experiencing. 

One  drawback  connected  with  the  big  Holt  tractors  was  the 
outrageous  noise  they  made  and  the  vast  number  of  sparks  they 
spouted  forth  from  their  exhaust-pipes;  when  a  stranger  was  try- 
ing to  find  the  gun  locations,  he  would  inquire  the  whereabouts 
of  them  from  some  Frenchman.  "Oh,"  would  be  the  answer, 
"you  mean  zose  wiz  ze  beeg  tractors;  ah,  oui,  I  heard  zem  last 
night,  and  zey  are  over  zere."  The  trouble  was  that  the  enemy 
also  could  hear  them,  and  results  were  sometimes  disastrous. 
On  one  evening,  however,  the  noise  of  the  tractors  proved  to  be 
an  asset.  It  was  the  ni^ht  when  Maj.  Wilson  first  moved  his  guns 
to  the  front;  and  the  eight  "elephants"  of  the  2d  Batl.  were  lined 
up  on  the  road  near  Abbaye  dTgny.  Orders  were  given  to  start 
the  column.  Suddenly  the  approach  of  an  enemy  bombing-plane 
was  heard  over-head — too  late  to  countermand  the  order.  Coin- 
cidently  with  the  silence  which  was  caused  by  the  bomber's  shut- 
ting off  his  engine  and  swooping  upon  his  prey,  the  eight  tractors 


122  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

burst  out  in  a  simultaneous  ''bang!  bang!  bang!"  all  functioning 
together,  flaming  like  volcanoes  and  making  a  terrific  din.  No 
sooner  did  the  German  hear  the  racket  and  perceive  the  spouting 
flames  than  he  started  up  his  engine  with  a  staccato  rat-rat-rat, 
only  a  few  yards  above,  and  flew  away  as  fast  as  his  power  would 
carry  him;  he  evidently  thought  that  a  battery  of  anti-aircraft 
guns  had  opened  on  him  and  was  frightened. 

Every  shot,  and  all  ammunition,  had  to  be  accounted  for  in  the 
daily  report.  Our  ammunition  was  always  delivered  amid  the 
deep  darkness  of  midnight,  so  that  no  one  could  possibly  tell  how 
much  there  was  in  the  lot ;  and  some  of  it  was  certain  to  be  fired 
away  before  morning.  Still,  accurate  reports  were  demanded. 
The  officers  were  constantly  interrupted  in  their  much  needed 
sleep,  to  send  or  answer  telephone  calls  connected  with  these  am- 
munition reports.  One  major  agreed  to  accommodate  another 
with  five  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition,  and  took  a  receipt  for 
them;  when  he  undertook  to  deliver  the  goods,  he  found  that  his 
"dump"  had  been  hit  and  the  ammunition  destroyed.  Letters 
of  explanation  were  required  to  clear  up  the  question. 

As  the  Germans  were  slowly  retiring  from  Fismes  to  the  Aisne 
River,  and  as  the  divisional  field  artillery  was  hastening  this  re- 
tirement by  unintermittently  pounding  the  enemy  lines,  it  re- 
mained for  the  longer-ranged  G.  P.  F.  guns  to  work  damage  in  the 
German  rear,  and  interfere  in  every  way  possible  with  enemy 
plans.  Targets  were  assigned  on  or  near  the  Aisne,  behind  Fismes, 
as,  for  instance,  bridges  which  the  enemy  must  cross,  or  over  which 
came  his  supplies,  or  ammunition  and  supply  "dumps,"  or  con- 
centrations of  reserve  troops,  or  enemy  batteries,  which  the  field 
guns  could  not  reach.  For  the  most  part,  firing  was  done  by 
the  map,  as  the  target  was  scarcely  ever  visible  from  the  bat- 
tery; now  and  then  an  aviator  would  remain  up  long  enough 
to  discover  the  result  of  the  American  fire  and  would  render  an 
encouraging  report.  But  the  truth  was  as  we  have  seen,  that  the 
German  air  forces  had  almost  undisputed  control  of  the  air  and 
did  not  permit  the  French  or  American  aviators  to  accomplish 
much.  A  high  hill  sometimes  enabled  the  artillerymen  to  make 
"terrestrial  observation";  but  such  a  hill-top  was  far  from  being  a 
health-resort. 

When  the  battalions  first  began  firing,  one  of  them  found  itself 
facing  a  mystery.    Observers  from  the  Pennsylvania  infantry  re- 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ** Oise-Aisne  Offensive''  123 

ported  that  the  55th  were  blowing  up  certain  enemy  ammunition 
dumps  and  doing  vast  damage — an  encouraging  item  of  informa- 
tion, except  that  the  55th  were  aiming  at  an  entirely  different 
target,  the  town  of  Merval,  some  distance  from  the  dumps  in  ques- 
tion. Meanwhile  the  Bat.  D  observers  were  unable  to  find  their 
shots  anywhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the  targets  at  which  they  were 
firing.  Presently  Sgt.  Robert  T.  Duffy  of  Bat.  C  detected  an  error 
by  compass;  and  examination  by  the  Orienteur  (Lt.  Erickson) 
revealed  the  explanation — the  latter  officer  had  been  given  inac- 
curate data  by  the  French,  who  were  there  when  he  arrived,  and, 
misled  by  this  error,  he  had  failed  to  note  a  mistake  which  he  him- 
self made  in  reading  "ten  grades"  as  "decigrades."  The  difference 
between  his  error  and  the  French  inaccuracy  was  so  small  that  the 
two  errors  concealed  each  other.  While  nothing  was  lost  by  this 
particular  mistake,  it  served  as  a  warning  and  prevented  other 
mistakes. 

Mistakes  occasionally  happened.  One  battery  (C)  had  received 
firing-orders  without  its  companion  battery's  being  notified;  sud- 
denly a  flash  lit  up  the  sky  and  hang!  came  a  loud  report — the 
first  shot  had  been  fired.  But  a  gun-commander  in  the  other 
battery  thought  for  the  moment  that  the  ''message"  was  coming 
rather  than  going;  so  mindful  only  of  the  safety  of  his  men,  he 
called  out,  ''Scatter,  men,  scatter!"  And  scatter  they  did.  That 
night  the  same  men  heard  projectiles  arriving  all  around  them, 
but  not  detonating  as  high-explosive  shells  should;  immediately 
inferring  that  the  silent  shells  were  charged  with  gas,  they  sounded 
the  alarm,  put  on  masks  and  patiently  waited — while  forty-eight 
harmless  "duds"  fell  in  succession;  and  they  would  have  continued 
longer,  watchful  and  puzzled,  had  not  the  forty-ninth  shell  prop- 
erly exploded. 

The  neighboring  infantry  had  been  forbidden  to  show  any  lights; 
so  when  the  gunners  went  out  to  set  up  the  aiming-lights,  they  were 
promptly  fired  upon  by  infantry  sentinels.  A  Surgeon  became  ob- 
sessed with  the  idea  that  shells  were  falling  very  close  to  his  quarters, 
and  announced  that  he  saw  a  fresh  shell-pit  just  outside  his  window; 
sceptical  friends  took  him  out  to  examine  the  hole  the  following 
morning,  and  found  it  carpeted  with  growing  daisies  and  grass — 
either  a  miracle  had  been  wrought,  or  the  doctor  had  "seen  things." 
(This  was  the  same  Surgeon  who  had  reached  the  years  of  maturity 
without  ever  seeing  a  tadpole — when  he  first  set  eyes  upon  a  par- 


124  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

tially  developed  French  batrachian,  he  called  out  that  he  had  found 
a  "frog  with  a  propeller.")  One  man^s  idiosyncracies  often  resulted 
in  another  man's  discomfort.  A  certain  aviator  was  diffuse  and 
somewhat  imaginative  in  his  observations — "  he  saw  a  lot  of  things." 
In  consequence  of  his  reports,  the  3d  Batl.  one  night  received  a 
firing-order  covering  nearly  everything  on  the  country-side ;  so  that 
seven  different  targets  were  assigned  to  a  single  battery,  an  assign- 
ment which  involved  an  immense  amount  of  mathematical  work 
in  computing  ranges.  An  impatient  officer  suggested  that  they 
''cover  the  whole  map  with  zone  fire  and  be  done  with  it."  But 
Capt.  Winn,  the  Adjutant,  was  chief  sufferer;  when  he  had  received 
about  one-third  of  the  order  over  the  phone,  he  interrupted  the 
transmitter. 

"Wait  a  minute;  how  much  more  is  there  of  this?" 

"About  twice  as  much  more;  why?" 

"Nothing;  only  it  is  very  chilly  here  for  a  man  who  has  just 
jumped  out  of  bed,  and  who  has  on  only  his  slippers  and  his  identi- 
fication-tag." 

A  brief  recess  was  taken. 

Minor  accidents  sometimes  threatened  serious  consequences. 
One  night  a  message  came  from  a  battery  post  of  command  to 
battalion  Headquarters, 

"You  must  give  me  another  Chemin-des-Dames-Sud  map  or 
I  may  not  be  able  to  fire  when  needed. "  As  this  map  was  scarce, 
an  explanation  was  requested  as  to  the  fate  of  the  previous  one. 

"Oh,"  came  the  reply,  "my  cigaret  set  it  on  fire  and  burned 
it  up." 

Camouflage  was  all-important,  when  the  enemy  controlled  the 
air;  and  the  guns  had  to  be  carefully  covered  with  fish-nets  and 
screens  and  the  boughs  of  trees.  The  regiment  frequently  enjoyed 
the  services  of  Capt.  Homer  St.  Gaudens,  son  of  the  distinguished 
sculptor,  who  was  camouflage  inspector  in  the  district;  an  officer 
of  the  55th,  who,  years  before,  had  been  private  tutor  in  the  St. 
Gaudens  family  and  helped  train  the  young  man,  now  felt  that 
his  early  labors  were  yielding  unexpected  fruit.  The  utmost  cau- 
tion was  observed  when  placing  the  guns  in  firing  position,  and 
two  nights  were  required  for  the  process;  on  the  first  night  pits 
would  be  dug  and  fish-nets  or  other  screens  spread  over  the  spot 
which  was  to  be  occupied,  and  on  the  second  the  guns  would  be 
brought  from  their  last  halting-place  and  run  in  under  the  screens. 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ^' Oise-Aisne  Offensive^'  125 

Camouflage  ruled  the  telephone  system  also;  each  center  was 
assigned  a  call-word;  and  it  was  against  the  rule  for  anyone  to  ad- 
dress another,  over  the  wire,  by  a  military  title.  Every  officer, 
from  the  Colonel  down,  was  spoken  to  as  "Mister";  while  the  call- 
words  of  the  various  posts  of  command  would  make  a  listener-in 
think  he  had  gotten  into  a  menagerie — the  regimental  Headquarters 
was  "Barnum,"  the  1st  Batl.  responded  to  the  call  ''Tiger,"  the 
2d  to  ''Elephant,"  the  3d  to  "Beaver,"  one  of  the  observation 
posts  (as  we  have  seen)  to  "Turtle,"  and  each  battery  had  a 
distinctive  word. 

Need  existed  for  employing  caution,  for  the  enemy's  system  of 
espionage  pervaded  everywhere.  At  Dravegny  it  was  noticed 
that  the  hands  of  the  clock  on  the  church-tower  had  a  habit  of 
moving  around  altho  the  clock  was  not  running;  while  a  German 
aeroplane  circled  about  the  church,  flying  low.  When  American 
troops  gathered  to  search  the  church,  the  plane  let  fly  a  spray  of 
machine-gun  bullets,  while  from  somewhere  came  the  alarm- 
call  of  "Gas!  gas!"  In  the  resulting  confusion,  Lt.  Col.  Furnival, 
who  was  an  eye-witness,  did  not  learn  whether  the  Germans  es- 
caped or  not;  but  the  church-tower  no  longer  signaled.  Every 
night  the  55th  were  fired  on  by  a  gun,  which  seemed  to  operate 
from  somewhere  in  the  rear  of  the  American  lines;  on  Aug.  20, 
a  rumor  spread  that  the  military  police  had  discovered  the  gun 
(so  carefully  camouflaged  that  it  had  been  passed  by  unnoticed, 
when  the  lines  advanced)  and  had  escorted  to  the  prison-pen  the 
thirteen  enemy  gunners  who  worked  the  mischief.  This  rumor 
was  characterized  by  Capt.  Kircher  and  others  as  untrue  to  fact — 
the  unusual  shots  were  claimed  to  have  come  from  an  Austrian 
88  mm.  "Whiz-bang,"  on  the  German  side  of  the  line;  on  the  other 
hand,  besides  the  evidence  of  sound,  men  of  the  55th  testified  to 
the  author  of  having  actually  seen  the  procession  of  prisoners. 
Perhaps  the  cooks  had  the  hardest  time  with  camouflage  regula- 
tions; for  it  was  their  duty  to  prepare  meals  without  creating  any 
tell-tale  columns  of  smoke.  The  best  method  of  achieving  such  a 
result  was  to  set  up  the  cook-stove  in  the  center  of  some  large, 
ruined  barn  or  shed,  and  let  the  smoke  out  in  the  building;  thus 
diffused,  the  outpouring  of  the  stove-pipe  became  unnoticeable. 

Of  course  some  mistakes  were  made;  and  innocent  men  were 
occasionally  accused  of  being  spies.  Two  Pennsylvania  soldiers 
fell  under  suspicion  and  were  investigated — their  only  fault  was 


126  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

that  they  had  been  overheard  talking  the  peculiar  dialect  of  Ger- 
man which  is  in  vogue  thruout  the  Keystone  State.  At  another 
time  two  badly  scared  Italian  soldiers  were  detained — they  had 
merely  strayed  a  few  kilometers  westward  from  the  Italian  sector, 
in  search  of  wine.  A  French  oj0&cer  became  infuriated  when  he 
was  arrested  by  the  55th  sentries,  as  he  was  prowling  around  the 
batteries;  he  eventually  substantiated  his  tale  that  he  was  search- 
ing for  a  lost  dog,  and  he  could  not  forgive  those  who  had  ven- 
tured to  suspect  him  of  wrong.  As  a  souvenir  of  an  occasion  when 
there  was  no  mistake  about  espionage,  a  sergeant  of  the  Supply 
Co.  retained  the  rifle  of  a  German  spy,  whom  he  had  killed  near 
the  Abbaye. 

The  mess-sergeants  appreciated  their  responsibility  for  feeding 
the  men  well  while  in  battle;  the  mess  picked  up  from  day  to  day, 
and  amongst  other  luxuries  came  to  include  considerable  pie. 
In  more  than  one  battery,  men  who  could  cook  pie  were  specially 
detailed  to  perform  that  task.  It  happened  in  Bat.  F  that,  just 
as  an  especially  fine  dessert  was  served,  groups  of  infantry  stragglers 
were  passing  on  their  way  from  the  front;  and  these  hungry  soldiers 
promptly  requested  to  be  "let  in."  So  well  did  they  like  55th  pie 
that  they  asked,  as  a  further  favor,  to  be  attached  to  the  battery. 
There  was  always  plenty  of  hard  work  to  be  done,  digging  or  mak- 
ing roads;  and  so  the  infantrymen  were  permitted  to  eat  with  the 
battery  and  to  earn  their  board  by  wielding  the  shovel  between 
meals.  Several  weeks  elapsed  before  the  military  police  discovered 
these  auxiliaries,  and  led  them  back  to  duty — in  fact  one  Penn- 
sylvanian  became  so  attached  to  Bat.  F  and  so  completely  separated 
from  the  111th  Infantry  that  he  was  actually  transferred  in  regular 
form  to  his  adopted  ''outfit."  Of  course,  conditions  were  not 
dainty,  despite  the  utmost  endeavors  to  render  them  so;  as  one 
lieutenant  expressed  it,  when  he  was  observed  in  the  act  of  ex- 
tracting flies  and  grass  from  his  soup,  "At  home  I  made  a  fuss  if 
there  was  so  much  as  a  fly  or  a  hair  in  my  food — here  I  am  thankful 
if  the  mess  does  not  eat  me,  before  I  can  eat  it."  A  favorite  form 
of  refreshment  between  meals,  especially  in  the  dug-outs  during 
the  evening,  was  the  "trench  doughnut";  it  was  made  as  follows: 
Some  bacon  grease  was  heated  in  the  mess-kit,  on  the  stove;  and 
a  slice  of  bread  was  introduced,  fried  "until  brown,"  and  sprinkled 
with  sugar.  It  was  "wonderful."  Another  officer,  when,  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  he  felt  "devilish,"  was  accustomed  to  indulge  in  dis- 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  '' Oise-Aisne  Offensive^ ^  127 

sipation  by  eating  a  piece  of  bread  and  jam  with  condensed  milk 
over  it. 

When  the  men  had  been  without  baths  for  two  weeks  or  more, 
they  were  notified  that  they  might  use  the  new  shower  and  plunge 
which  the  28th  Division  had  established  at  the  Abbaye;  and  great 
was  the  rejoicing  over  the  privilege.  It  soon  became  evident,  how- 
ever, that  the  road  to  the  Abbaye  was  a  perilous  one,  and  several 
narrow  escapes  were  reported.  One  man,  a  battery  cook,  was 
given  several  hours'  ''leave"  in  order  that  he  might  bathe,  and 
started  forth  bravely;  but  when  the  shells  began  falling  in  his  vi- 
cinity, he  hesitated,  stopped,  and  was  heard  to  say,  "I  don't  need 
a  bath  so  awful  bad." 

One  midnight,  by  way  of  greeting,  the  entire  31st  Brigade  fired 
a  salvo  of  high-explosive  shells  into  a  town  occupied  by  the  enemy; 
as  no  shots  had  previously  been  directed  toward  this  town,  the 
forty-eight  great  shells,  all  arriving  simultaneously,  must  have 
made  an  impression. 

During  the  days  when  they  "were  carrying  chocolate  to  the 
Abbaye,"  the  Red  Cross  kept  the  men  cheered  by  providing  them 
with  sweets;  one  of  the  Red  Cross  workers,  Lt.  Asbury  White, 
of  Pueblo,  Colorado,  a  crippled  little  man  with  a  crooked  spine, 
gained  for  himself  the  soubriquet  of  ''Captain  Suicide,"  because 
of  the  utter  fearlessness  with  which  he  drove  his  Ford  right  up  to 
the  front  line  on  his  tours  of  distribution.  Alas!  Captain  Suicide 
broke  down  under  the  strain,  and  died  two  months  later. 

The  French  Armies  began  their  great  Oise-Aisne  Offensive  on 
Aug.  18,  the  day  most  of  the  55th  were  setting  up  their  guns, 
and  continued  it  up  to  the  day  of  the  armistice;  during  the  three 
months  of  this  push,  they  regained  the  Chemin  des  Dames,  shat- 
tered the  Hindenburg  line  and  pressed  the  attack  on  into  Bel- 
gium. All  that  the  Americans  contributed  to  this  offensive  in  the 
sector  occupied  by  the  6th  French  Army  was  their  aid,  between 
Aug.  18  and  Sept.  8,  in  pushing  the  enemy  back  from  the  Vesle  to 
the  Aisne;  thereafter  the  Yanks  were  transferred  j  to  the  new 
American  sector,  leaving  the  French  to  complete  the  operation  by 
themselves.  The  28th  and  77th  Divisions,  and  the  31st  Heavy 
Artillery  Brigade,  were  the  Americans  there  participating;  and 
together  constituted  the  3d  Corps. 

Gen.  Gatchell  became  chief  of  artillery  for  the  3d  Corps  on  Aug. 
21;  and  was  succeeded  in  command  of  the  brigade  by  Col.  Louis 


128  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

R.  Burgess,  of  the  56th  Regiment.  As  the  enemy  yielded  ground, 
it  became  necessary  for  the  artillery  to  advance;  on  Aug.  21,  a 
platoon  of  Bat.  A  crossed  the  Ardre  River  at  Crugny  and  took 
position  at  Serzy.  During  the  night  of  Aug.  24-25,  Lt.  Campbell 
moved  a  platoon  of  Bat.  E,  the  "Lucky  Evelyn"  and  the  ''Little 
Rhody,"  three  kilometers  northward  into  "Death  Valley."  In 
spite  of  bright  moonlight  and  the  presence  of  enemy  planes,  only 
three  casualties  occurred  and  those  not  fatal — the  men  surmized 
that  they  were  protected  by  "Providence,"  as  all  of  them  hailed 
from  a  city  bearing  that  name.  "Death  Valley"  (one  of  many 
such)  was  three  kilometers  south  of  Fismes  and  extended  to  the 
westward,  toward  Chery-Chartreuve ;  it  lay  just  south  of  St. 
Gilles,  and  was  the  last  location  toward  the  German  lines  affording 
any  cover  whatever.  The  Little  Rhody's  tractor  had  its  gas-tank 
punctured  by  a  shell-fragment,  just  as  the  gun  was  trying  to  cross 
a  stream;  the  consequent  outburst  of  flame  consumed  everything 
combustible  on  the  machine,  and  also  drew  a  hot  bombardment 
from  the  enemy,  a  shower  of  high-explosive  and  gas  shells.  After 
a  delay  of  two  hours,  to  afford  the  enemy's  exuberance  time  to 
cool  off,  the  Lucky  Evelyn's  tractor  helped  its  mate  out  of  diffi- 
culty, and  pulled  both  guns  into  position.  The  burned  tractor 
was  afterwards  repaired  and  rendered  as  good  as  new.  Several 
of  the  men  were  slightly  injured  by  mustard  gas;  but  the  excellent 
gas  discipline  saved  all  from  serious  harm — at  the  same  time  the 
neighboring  infantry  lost  sixteen  men.  Sgt.  Riback's  Little  Rhody 
earned  several  wound  stripes,  having  the  right  trail  penetrated 
by  two  shell-fragments  and  the  cingoli  shoe  by  another;  the  gun 
subsequently  revenged  itself  by  obtaining  a  direct  hit  upon  a 
German  marine  gun  and  silencing  it — after  the  crews  of  both 
guns  in  Death  Valley  had  been  firing  thruout  an  entire  night, 
while  wearing  gas-masks  for  self -protection.  The  55th  then  held 
positions  side  by  side  with  the  most  advanced  field  artillery  on  the 
Vesle. 

Ten  days  later,  as  the  Americans  were  suffering  from  a  concen- 
tration of  German  gas,  the  same  battery  donned  their  masks  and, 
thus  protected,  continued  firing  during  two  entire  hours,  until 
they  had  destroyed  the  enemy  guns.  For  both  of  these  services 
the  battery  received  commendation  from  the  superior  officers. 
Bat.  F  were  assigned  a  target  and  commenced  firing,  at  a  season 
when  they  had  the  services  of  a  balloonist  as  observer;  after  their 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ^'Oise-Aisne  Offensive^ ^  129 

fifth  shot  (by  the  Strong),  the  observer  phoned  for  them  to  cease 
firing,  for  the  target  had  been  demolished  and  was  in  flames.  The 
artillerists  inquired  what  it  was  that  they  had  destroyed,  and  were 
informed  that  a  large  distillery  had  fallen  beneath  their  fire. 
The  regiment  now  received  sixty  more  trucks,  the  last  invoice  they 
were  ever  destined  to  get. 

Between  Aug.  22  and  Sept.  4,  a  detail  from  Bat.  F  were  busy 
in  the  Belleau  Wood,  near  Chateau-Thierry,  cleaning  up  the  battle- 
field where  the  2d  Division  had  so  distinguished  themselves,  and 
salvaging  lost  materiel.  At  this  time  reports  circulated  to  the  effect 
that  Alhed  prisoners  of  war  were  tampering  with  the  German  ammu- 
nition, and  were  causing  '*duds"  to  fall  in  the  Allied  lines  instead 
of  live  shells;  certainly  the  percentage  of  poor  projectiles  was 
enormous.  Lt.  Vickers  reported  that  his  men  actually  found  a 
powder-charge,  near  the  Belleau  Woods,  in  which  was  tucked  a  note, 
to  the  effect  that  ''Canadian  and  Australian  prisoners  are  doing 
their  bit."  This  salvaging  was  gruesome  work,  for  occasionally 
the  men  would  come  across  unburied  dead,  who  had  lain  there  more 
than  five  weeks.  Everywhere  it  was  evident  that  the  Germans 
were  running  short  of  ammunition;  the  enemy  were  methodical 
about  dating  all  the  products  of  their  factories,  and  on  the  ammu- 
nition which  we  found,  they  had  stamped  the  date,  "July,  1918" — 
it  was  impossible  that  any  reserve  supply  could  exist  when  they 
were  using  their  most  recent  products  from  day  to  day. 

A  slight  retirement  of  the  American  infantry  line  took  place  on 
the  night  of  Aug.  26-27;  while  a  hand-to-hand  struggle  was  in 
progress  in  the  streets  of  Fismette,  some  German  spy  called  out 
that  it  was  "no  use  to  resist,"  and  suggested  "surrender,"  with 
consequences  which  were  temporarily  disastrous.  This  led  to  meas- 
ures utterly  drastic  for  the  purpose  of  rooting  out  enemy  espionage, 
measures  which  succeeded.  A  heavy  artillery  barrage  helped  at 
the  time  to  retrieve  the  situation. 

A  German  plane  was  forced  down  immediately  in  front  of  Bat. 
B's  position;  and  a  second  later  the  artillerymen  were  "over  the 
top"  with  all  the  celerity  of  doughboys.  The  two  aviators  were 
prisoners,  and  the  machine  was  cut  up  for  souvenirs  more  quickly 
than  the  tale  can  be  told  today.  The  French,  however,  were  right 
in  feeling  that  an  attempt  should  have  been  made  to  repair  the 
plane  and  turn  it  against  its  former  owners — ^instead  of  yielding 
to  the  American  master-passion  for  souvenirs. 
9 


130  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Further  advance  was  called  for  by  Sept.  4,  and  the  entire  2d 
Batl.  moved  forward  past  Courville,  across  the  Ardre,  and  took 
position  on  the  road  north  of  the  river  and  east  of  the  town. 

Lt.  Roth  gives  a  side-light  upon  the  difficulty  of  moving  motor- 
ized artillery  in  his  description  of  Bat.  C's  participation  in  this 
move:  "Orders  came  in  the  afternoon  to  move  that  night.  I 
went  on  up  ahead  to  look  over  the  roads  and  didn't  get  back 
to  the  battery  till  7  p.  m.  It  was  already  beginning  to  grow 
dark,  so  the  men  could  work  out  in  the  open  without  danger — 
and  they  had  already  begun  placing  the  guns  in  traveling  posi- 
tion. At  9  p.  M.  we  were  ready,  and  pulled  out.  Only  had  three 
tractors  and  four  guns,  so,  as  usual,  had  to  haul  one  gun  with  two 
trucks.  And  it  rained!  And  ye  gods,  the  night  was  black.  When 
the  nights  aren't  cloudy,  we  can  see  quite  well  by  star-light;  but 
when  it  rains,  it's  dark.  But  with  the  tractors  we  couldn't  move 
fast,  so  had  plenty  of  time  to  pick  road.  Got  to  within  about 
a  mile  of  our  new  position  when  we  had  to  leave  the  main  road 
to  go  thru  a  big  open  place.  We  started  to  plow  thru;  but  it  was 
then  about  midnight,  and  it  had  been  raining  since  8.30,  so  it  was 
pretty  soft;  the  first  tractor  and  gun  got  stuck  in  the  mud  and 
wouldn't  budge.  Then  came  the  two  trucks  pulling  second  gun. 
They  wouldn't  pull  the  gun  thru  the  soft  mud,  so  I  unhitched  the 
trucks  and  sent  them  separately  on  to  the  main  road.  One  got 
thru,  and  the  other  buried  itself  to  the  hubs  in  mud  and  stuck 
there.  While  this  was  going  on,  I  was  taking  the  tractor  from 
gun  No.  3  (which  was  following)  and  placing  it  in  front  of  the 
second  gun  (which  the  trucks  had  left).  When  we  reached  the 
stuck  truck,  we  unhitched  tractor  from  gun  and  pulled  out  the 
truck;  but  by  the  time  the  tractor  got  back  to  the  gun,  the  gun 
had  sunk  into  the  mud  and  wouldn't  budge.  There  were  two 
guns  stuck  and  gun  No.  3  waiting  down  by  the  bridge  with  nothing 
to  haul  it.  We  fooled  around  till  day-break,  then  sent  tractor 
back  and  pulled  guns  Nos.  3  and  4  on  to  battery  position,  and 
returned  to  the  two  stuck  guns.  Had  intended  throwing  branches 
and  camouflage  over  them  and  leave  them  till  night,  but,  thank 
Goodness,  the  rain  continued  and  we  could  continue  working  without 
fear  of  being  observed.  Eventually  the  guns  were  on  their  way, 
but  not  until  the  Major  came  over  and  superintended  the  work 
(which  he  thought  would  require  an  hour,  but  which  required 
six  hours)." 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  '^ Oise-Aisne  Offensive'^  131 

Bat.  D  successfully  camouflaged  one  of  their  guns  in  an  old 
"Adrian  Barracks"  building,  and  rendered  it  entirely  invisible; 
but  the  structure  did  not  possess  strength  adequate  to  the  strain. 
At  the  very  first  shot,  the  powder-blast  "brought  down  the  house." 
It  was  quickly  reconstructed  before  discovery  by  the  enemy  planes. 
On  Sept.  5,  the  rear  platoon  of  Bat.  E  rejoined  their  comrades  in 
Death  Valley. 

Difference  of  opinion  sometimes  existed  as  to  what  was  safe  and 
what,  dangerous.  Col.  Sevier  insisted  most  earnestly  upon  every- 
one remaining  quiet  and,  so  far  as  possible,  invisible,  while  in 
the  vicinity  of  Headquarters.  One  day  the  Colonel  of  a  Penn- 
sylvania regiment  happened  along  with  his  staff,  set  up  his  cook- 
stove  at  the  same  Headquarters  and  caused  the  entire  party  to 
seat  themselves  for  a  leisurely  and  comfortable  meal;  and  while 
they  were  discussing  their  victuals,  their  Band  stood  outside  the 
building  and  played — played  so  that  all  could  hear.  No  disaster 
ensued. 

Aviators  were  apt  to  procrastinate.  When  one  failed,  on  a  cer- 
tain date,  to  keep  his  appointment  and  observe  the  shooting  of  a 
battery  of  the  55th,  his  tardiness  led  the  artillerymen  to  go  to  work 
on  other  targets.  Finally  he  did  come,  and  promptly  began  observ- 
ing what  he  thought  were  the  targets;  the  batteries  were  firing 
in  a  different  direction,  entirely  oblivious  of  the  aviator,  while  he, 
seeing  flashes  in  the  dark,  was  looking  for  the  impacts.  By  chance 
two  shells,  from  batteries  entirely  outside  of  the  55th,  fell  about 
five  hundred  meters  "short"  of  the  observed  target — so  this  was 
signaled  to  the  astonished  wireless-operator  at  battalion  Head- 
quarters. No  attention  was  paid  to  the  message.  On  our  next 
fire  he  observed  some  shots  one  thousand  meters  "short";  utterly 
nonplussed,  and  disgusted,  the  aviator  signaled,  "I  am  going  home." 
When,  a  few  hours  later,  he  asked  for  explanations,  he  was  given 
instruction  in  the  virtue  of  promptness.  On  another  occasion  an 
aeroplane  observer  signaled  that  he  was  "going  home,"  and  set 
the  artillerymen  wondering  what  the  matter  could  be;  when  pres- 
ently they  saw  six  German  planes  in  hot  pursuit,  the  mystery  was 
cleared  up,  and  the  aviator's  "alibi"  was  accepted  as  satisfactory. 

Bat.  B's  kitten  was  struck  by  a  shell-fragment — fairly  and 
squarely  wounded  in  action;  so  the  men  marked  a  wound  chevron 
with  indeUble  ink  on  puss's  shoulder,  and  were  doubly  proud  of 
their  mascot. 


132  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

It  was  at  the  Vesle  front  that  the  festive  "cootie,"  or  body- 
louse,  first  introduced  himself  to  the  55th.  If  the  gentle  reader 
is  wondering  why  the  American  soldiers  were  so  brazen  about 
their  vermin-infection,  let  him  remember  that  the  "cootie"  could 
be  found  only  at  the  front,  and  consequently  that  he  served  as  an 
informal  '' service-medal."  Cooties  came  large  and 
small,  male  and  female;  and  it  was  believed  that 
the  itching  was  caused  by  the  males  traveling 
about,  visiting  the  ladies  of  their  kind.  At  first, 
Pediculus  vesti-  one  thought  that  he  had  hives;  after  he  had 
MENTi, THE  "Cootie"  learned  the  art  of  "reading  his  shirt,"  he  ascer- 
tained the  real  cause  of  his  discomfort.  It  was  a  mystery  how  the 
Surgeon  could  infallibly  tell,  at  a  glance,  whether  one  had  the  pest 
or  not,  when  the  sufferer  could  not  always  tell  himself  without 
prolonged  investigation;  but  it  seemed  that  the  Surgeon  looked,  not 
for  the  cooties,  but  for  the  scratches — if  one  had  scratches,  he  had 
cooties.  If  one  happened  to  get  transferred  to  some  region  where 
cooties  had  not  yet  taken  possession,  then  he  must  be  cautious  not 
to  be  caught  scratching;  or  he  would  speedily  know  how  it  felt  to  be 
a  social  leper.  The  reader  will  readily  understand  why  cootie-infec- 
tion was  unavoidable,  when  he  takes  into  consideration  the  fact  that 
the  55th  were  occupying  dug-outs  in  which  other  troops  had  been 
sleeping  during  the  greater  part  of  four  years,  and  that  no  house- 
cleaning  had  been  possible.  Furthermore,  the  men  did  not  enjoy 
a  change  of  linen  each  week.  While  a  few  of  the  more  fastidious 
officers  contrived,  at  rare  intervals,  to  don  night-garments  before 
retiring,  most  of  them  were  in  the  same  position  as  the  battery 
commander  who,  the  day  of  the  armistice,  put  on  pajamas  for  the 
first  time  in  three  months.  Indeed  the  humorists  used  to  quote 
a  definition:  "Pajamas — the  soldier  sleeps  in  his  uniform."  A 
new  branch  of  mathematical  science  came  into  existence,  known 
as  "cootie  arithmetic" — its  rules  were: 

"  They  add  to  your  troubles. 

"They  subtract  from  your  pleasure. 

"They  divide  your  attention. 

"And  they  multiply  hke  Hell." 

Telephone  and  radio  systems  were  the  nerves  of  the  artillery, 
and  were  absolutely  essential.  The  telephone  system  was  tested 
half -hourly  from  each  end;  the  line  to  regimental  Headquarters 
was  in  one  instance  in  quadruplicate,  and  the  lines  were  double 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  '^ Oise-Aisne  Offensive^'  133 

to  each  battery;  the  central  was  safely  situated  in  a  cave  at  each 
battalion  Headquarters,  and  the  2d  Batl.  had  a  duplicate  central 
at  another  place.  Repairing  had  to  go  on  as  constantly  as  did 
the  enemy  shelling;  moreover,  the  lines  were  often  cut  by  spies 
prowling  in  the  rear  of  the  American  guns.  One  line  had  no  fewer 
than  nine  breaks  in  a  single  night;  and  one  morning,  each  of  the 
seventy-five  or  eighty  main  trunk-lines  running  by  the  2d  Batl. 
Headquarters  was  broken.  There  were  so  many  cases  of  snipped 
wires  that  the  infantry  had  orders  to  shoot  any  man  seen  tampering 
with  a  line,  unless  he  wore  the  blue  brassard  of  the  army  line-man; 
no  blue  brassards  were  procurable,  and  so,  to  preserve  their  own 
lives,  the  men  were  compelled  to  tear  up  some  blue  overalls  and 
improvize  arm-bands.  The  hne-men's  task  was  a  perilous  one;  at 
first  they  thought  that  it  might  be  the  new,  light-colored  ladder 
which  they  used,  that  made  a  conspicuous  mark  and  drew  fire, 
and  they  abandoned  it;  but  even  so,  the  shells  kept  coming.  Once, 
when  a  shell  exploded  so  near  them  that  only  by  throwing  them- 
selves flat  on  the  ground  could  they  escape  injury  from  flying 
fragments,  Capt.  Leary  remarked  that  it  "looked  a  bit  dan- 
gerous"; the  stolid  regular,  to  whom  the  remark  was  addressed, 
grunted,  "Yes,  there  is  nothing  but  danger  here.''  A  party  of 
line-men  who  were  stringing  wire  between  the  2d  Batl.  and  the 
regimental  Headquarters  laid  a  line  more  than  three  kilometers 
in  length,  under  heavy  German  fire,  and  kept  expecting  all  the 
time  that  someone  would  "get  caught";  altho  they  were  fortunate 
and  met  with  no  accident,  one  man  of  the  party  who  had  been  quite 
free  in  extolling  his  own  fighting  qualities  became  an  object  of  laugh- 
ter when  he  sought  refuge  behind  a  graveyard  wall  during  a  period  of 
unusually  vicious  shelling.  He  explained  that,  if  he  had  to  die  at 
that  moment,  he  felt  that  he  would  like  to  be  close  to  a  cemetery. 

Col.  Sevier  issued  a  commendatory  circular  at  the  completion 
of  the  regiment's  service  with  the  French  Army: 

"Headquarters  55th  Artillery  (C.  A.  C.) 
American  Expeditionary  Forces. 
14  September  1918. 

"To  the  Oj0&cers  and  Men  of  the  55th  Regiment: 

"One  month  ago  today  this  entire  Regiment  reached  the  front. 
It  was  preceded  by  a  few  days  by  the  1st  Battalion. 

"Valuable   training   and   experience   has   been   acquired.      All 
have  done  well.     Our  greatest  deficiency  was  experience  in  con- 


134  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

voy  work — that  is  improving  each  day.  Each  organization  went 
into  action  promptly  upon  its  arrival  at  the  front.  Every  man 
and  officer  did  his  part  excellently  well.  Arduous  and  hazardous 
service  was  required  of  all.  It  was  given  cheerfully  and  unstintingly. 

"The  Regimental  Commander  feels  that  he  must,  in  simple 
justice,  call  attention  to  the  men  and  officers  who  maintained 
communications  between  the  various  stations  and  units.  They 
worked  night  and  day  under  shell-fire,  hampered  by  a  lack  of 
material;  but  by  resourcefulness  and  energy  managed  to  main- 
tain liaison.  Lieutenants  Bates,  Leary,  Pierce,  Camm  and  Hodge 
are  especially  commended;  equally  so  are  the  men  who  worked 
under  their  direction. 

"Instances  of  excellent  service  are  numerous.  For  gallantry 
and  splendid  artillery  work  the  1st  Battalion  was  frequently  com- 
mended by  the  French  authorities,  with  whom  they  first  served. 

"Battery  E,  during  the  action  of  the  31st  of  August,  by  their 
splendid  shooting  and  excellent  discipline  while  shelled  with  gas, 
proved  their  worth  as  soldiers. 

"While  route  marching,  the  discipline  maintained  by  Batteries 
A  and  E  impressed  all  who  saw  them  and  the  Regimental  Com- 
mander most  favorably.  He  has  been  particularly  gratified  at 
the  fewness  of  stragglers  and  wishes  to  impress  upon  organiza- 
tions and  their  officers  that  the  absence  of  straggling  is  the  best 
proof  of  the  metal  of  a  particular  outfit. 

"Our  defects  and  deficiencies  are  known  to  us  all;  and  it  is  evi- 
dent that  our  services  will  be  varied  and  arduous.  Tho  experience 
is  a  harsh  and  sometimes  costly  teacher  we  must  all  profit  to  the 
greatest  possible  extent  by  it;  and  every  man  and  officer  is  ad- 
monished to  do  his  part  to  correct  those  things  which  we  all  know 
reduce  our  efficiency. 

"It  is  with  deep  gratification  that  the  Regimental  Commander 
conveys  to  the  Regiment  the  repeated  commendation  of  splendid 
French  soldiers  who  have  actually  witnessed  our  efforts. 

"We  all  hope  soon  to  be  again  in  action  against  the  enemy  and 
prove  to  our  country  that  we  are  worthy  of  its  livery  in  the  great 
cause  to  which  it  has  dedicated  its  moral  and  material  force. 

"By  order  of  Colonel  Sevier. 
"P.  T.  Bryan,  Jr. 
"Captain,  C.  A.  C. 
"Adjutant." 


With  the  3d  Corps  in  the  ^^  Oise-Aisne  Offensive '^  135 

Col.  Sevier's  commendation  of  the  telephone  line-men  included 
forty-eight  men,  besides  the  five  officers;  forty-two  of  the  men 
were  in  Headquarters  Co.,  three  were  in  Bat.  D,  two  in  Bat.  C 
and  one  in  Bat.  E.  While  one  of  these  men  was  subsequently 
drowned  and  two  were  wounded,  all  came  thru  their  period  of 
service  on  the  Vesle  unscathed.  The  commendations  are  all 
noted  on  the  roster  later  in  this  book.  The  motorcycle  '* runners" 
also  rendered  highly  efficient  service  and  merited  commendation. 

Sunday,  Sept.  8,  opened  with  sunshine  and  closed  with  rain. 
The  Chaplain  conducted  service  for  the  three  units  of  the  2d 
Batl.  at  their  positions  north  of  Courville,  and  journeyed  across 
the  fields  to  the  1st  Batl.;  as  the  batteries  of  the  latter  were  already 
firing,  no  services  were  possible.  After  holding  personal  con- 
ferences with  the  men,  he  started  for  the  Abbaye  in  Col.  Dusen- 
bury's  auto.  The  Chaplain  had  noted  that  the  French  officers 
habitually  carried  walking-sticks  and  had  wondered  how  such 
a  custom  originated;  now  he  was  to  learn.  Midway  in  the  home- 
ward journey,  the  auto  stopped  in  the  center  of  a  field — stopped  be- 
cause the  mud  was  so  slippery  as  to  preclude  farther  progress.  Con- 
ditions were  scarcely  better  for  walking,  as  one  kept  slipping  down 
grade  at  every  step;  during  each  yard  of  that  two  miles  the  pedes- 
trian was  wishing  for  a  walking-stick  sufficiently  stout  to  serve 
as  anchor  and  steering-pole. 

Along  the  road,  he  passed  a  regiment  of  French  artillery  mov- 
ing toward  the  front,  and  upon  arriving  at  his  quarters  he  found 
orders  to  pack  and  be  ready  at  an  early  hour  the  following  morn- 
ing. The  3d  Corps  had  been  relieved  by  French  and  Italian 
troops  and  were  under  orders  to  march  to  another  sector — as  it 
proved,  to  the  American  sector.  Meanwhile  the  battalions  were 
engaged  in  their  final  rounds  of  firing,  their  farewell  to  the  Vesle 
'  and  the  Aisne. 

The  batteries  had  orders  to  move  at  7.15  p.  m.,  and  to  defer 
packing  up  until  that  hour;  it  was  expected  that  all  firing-orders 
could  be  completed  long  prior  to  the  time  indicated.  At  the  last 
moment  German  shelling  of  Corps  Headquarters  brought  a  counter- 
battery  order.  Poor  telephone  wires  rendered  communications 
slow;  and  it  was  actually  7.20  when  the  firing  was  completed. 
Orders  for  this  final  fire  were  especially  welcome;  each  battery  had 
just  received  four  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition,  and  was  under 
obligation  to  transport  the  same;  by  firing  eighty  rounds  before 


136  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

starting,  the  battery  reduced  the  amount  to  be  moved  by  exactly 
that  amount.  Then  came  the  task  of  packing  up  and  leaving  amid 
the  dense  blackness  of  a  rainy  night,  and  of  forgetting  nothing, 
not  even  the  projectiles  and  spare-parts  which  had  been  carefully 
hidden  under  clumps  of  bushes  or  in  holes  and  ditches,  so  that 
enemy  aviators  should  not  detect  them.  One  major  picked  up 
a  lost  "trail-lock  bolt,"  knowing  well  that  some  battery  would 
soon  miss  it;  and  when  presently  he  heard  one  of  his  batteries 
indulging  in  loud  outcries  and  charging  their  companion  battery 
with  theft,  he  permitted  the  altercation  to  proceed  far  enough 
to  be  interesting,  and  then  ended  it  by  producing  the  missing 
part.  Some  projectiles  were  also  overlooked  and  left  behind; 
and  trucks  had  to  be  sent  back  for  them  the  following  day.  Ve- 
hicles had  been  forbidden  to  pass  Coulonges  before  midnight; 
but  the  restriction  was  hardly  needed  in  view  of  the  vast  number  of 
things  having  to  be  done;  about  5  a.  m.  on  Sept.  9,  the  units  of 
the  31st  Brigade  actually  commenced  to  march  thru  the  streets 
of  that  town,  and  soon  both  regiments  were  on  their  way  south- 
ward. The  55th  had  completed  their  task  as  part  of  the  3d  Corps 
with  the  6th  French  Army,  in  the  Oise-Aisne  Offensive. 


m.:£m...  %"' 


Battery  C  Firing  at  Night  North  of  Arcis  le  Ponsart 


American  Police  Searching  German  Prisoners 


Peaceful  Appearance  of  the  55th  at  Charmontois  i/Abbe 


AIuhju   'I'iiA.Nbruui'  Tauk   ai    C'iiai.:,;w:\  i w..~-   ;,  Ai>i 


Comfortably  Placed  at  Charmontois  l'Abbe 


Battery  F  on  Road  Near  Ippecourt 


A  Glimpse  of  Bat.  F  on  the  Road  near  Ippecourt 


iiijnal  Corps  Photo 


CHAPTER  VII 

To  THE  ''Meuse-Argonne"  Front 

ALTHO  the  55th  were  not  aware  of  the  fact,  a  fateful 
conference  had  just  taken  place  between  Marshal  Foch 
and  Gen.  Pershing.  The  great  Somme  Offensive,  which 
began  Aug.  8,  was  proving  so  successful,  and  the  consequent 
German  retirement  was  proceeding  so  steadily  that  the  Gen- 
eralissimo concluded  to  launch  another  attack  and,  if  possible, 
end  the  war  then  and  there.  It  had  been  intended  to  make  an 
attack  from  the  American  sector  on  the  following  spring,  and 
meanwhile  to  accumulate  sufficient  men  and  equipment  so  as 
to  be  thoroly  prepared;  the  new  decision  was,  to  take  advantage 
of  the  enemy's  disposition  to  retreat,  and  to  encourage  their 
retirement,  and  transform  it  into  a  rout  by  administering  the 
contemplated  blow  immediately.  Gen.  Pershing  had  placed  all 
America's  resources  at  Foch's  command  five  months  previously 
and  had  shown  his  loyalty  by  scattering  the  Yanks  along  the 
front  line,  as  reserves  to  French  and  British  units;  now  he  was 
to  assemble  as  many  American  divisions  as  possible  in  a  mighty 
army,  and  strike  the  strongest  and  most  important  sector  of  the 
German  line — strike  suddenly  so  as  to  enjoy  the  advantage  of  sur- 
prize— strike  hard.  In  order  to  render  the  surprize  successful, 
the  troops  must  be  moved  over  the  existing  roads  of  the  country 
(for  nothing  would  be  a  clearer  indication  of  impending  military 
movements  than  the  appearance  of  newly  constructed  white 
roads  across  the  face  of  the  landscape),  must  be  moved  in  the 
night-time  so  as  to  escape  aeroplane  observation,  and  must  be 
moved  with  the  utmost  speed.  Only  sixteen  days  were  permitted 
to  elapse  between  the  formation  of  this  plan  and  the  carrying  out 
of  it;  and  during  those  days,  as  a  preliminary,  the  St.  Mihiel 
salient  was  to  be  **  pinched  out."  It  was  originally  planned  to 
rush  the  31st  Brigade  to  St.  Mihiel  in  season  for  participation 
in  the  offensive  there;  but  the  orders  were  changed.  This  rapid 
troop-movement  was  the  most  enormous  in  which  American  sol- 
diers ever  participated — more  than  600,000  men  journeyed  a 
distance  of  approximately  one  hundred  miles,  and  were  in  their 
appointed  positions  promptly  on  time. 


138  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

On  Monday,  Sept.  9,  in  accordance  with  Foch's  plan,  the  units 
of  the  55th  and  56th  Regiments  assembled  in  the  For^t  de  Riz, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Chatel  Villardelle,  and  by  noon-time  the  entire 
31st  Brigade  were  together.  It  required  700  paces  of  roadside 
to  park  a  single  battalion,  and,  consequently,  the  woods  along 
the  road  were  fully  occupied  by  the  six  battalions.  Men  pitched 
their  "pup-tents''  and  settled  themselves  for  a  needed  rest,  and 
watched  with  friendly  interest  the  endless  column  of  the  28th 
Division,  who  were  crowding  along  the  same  road.  Wet  clothing 
had  increased  our  discomfort  by  chafing  the  cootie  family  into 
activity. 

The  regiment  was  very  strong  as  it  left  the  Vesle;  Col.  Sevier 
reported  a  total  of  71  officers  and  1,667  men,  or  only  49  less  than 
the  maximum.  For  traveling  purposes,  four  subdivisions  of  the 
column  were  organized — the  light  column  or  autos  and  lighter 
trucks;  the  heavy  column  or  guns;  the  supply  column;  and  the 
marching  column  of  men  on  foot.  Thruout  the  movement  the 
55th  continued  to  receive  orders  from,  and  was  part  of,  the  3d 
American  Corps  and  the  5th  French  Army.  Maj.  Dusenbury 
had  become  a  lieutenant  colonel  within  the  previous  few  days, 
and  commenced  to  perform  the  duties  of  his  new  rank. 

Rain  set  in  during  the  night,  and  by  dawn  of  Sept.  10,  tor- 
rents of  water  were  descending  on  the  tents  and  trucks;  one  officer, 
who  had  been  longing  for  a  bath,  undressed  and  stood  out  in  the 
rain,  and  declared  that  he  never  had  a  finer  shower.  Unfortunately, 
just  as  he  had  lathered  himself  from  head  to  foot,  it  stopped  rain- 
ing for  a  while;  and  he  was  forced  to  roll  in  the  grass  and  puddles 
to  get  rid  of  the  lather.  Most  members  of  the  regiment,  how- 
ever, were  concerned  to  keep  dry  rather  than  to  get  wetter;  an 
adjutant,  who  made  the  mistake  of  undressing  in  his  tiny  pup- 
tent,  and  who  knew  that  he  would  start  his  **roof"  leaking  as 
soon  as  he  touched  the  cloth,  lost  nearly  an  hour  replacing  nether 
garments  upon  his  limbs  under  constrained  conditions.  A  wise 
battalion  commander  did  not  get  up  at  all,  until  the  rain  had 
stopped. 

Trucks  which  were  sent  back  to  salvage  some  forgotten  pro- 
jectiles, in  returning  to  the  regiment  took  a  more  direct  road  to- 
ward Epernay  so  as  to  cut  off  distance;  in  doing  this  the  vehicles 
crossed  the  Mountain  of  Reims  at  a  point  where,  so  it  was  rumored, 
the  Germans  had  made  an  advance  the  preceding  day.    Traveling 


To  the  ^' Meuse-Argonne'^  Front  139 

over  the  hills,  the  truck  party  were  startled  by  a  series  of  loud 
explosions  on  the  road  just  behind  them;  and  without  wasting 
any  time  to  look  and  investigate,  they  gave  gas  to  the  engines, 
with  a  firm  resolve  that  they  were  not  going  to  be  caught  by  Ger- 
man shells,  while  carting  ammunition.  After  putting  a  safe 
distance  between  themselves  and  the  threatened  danger,  they 
halted  to  take  an  inventory;  one  *'lame"  truck  had  dropped  be- 
hind, and  presently  came  along  with  the  report  that  the  noise 
was  due  merely  to  a  party  of  French  engineers,  doing  some  blast- 
ing. 

The  brigade  set  out  for  Epernay  at  8.30  a.  m.,  Sept.  11,  moving 
thru  Treloup  on  the  Mame,  then  along  the  north  bank  of  the 
river  to  Verneuil,  where  the  first  undestroyed  bridge  capable  of 
bearing  the  guns  spanned  the  stream,  and  along  the  main  high- 
way on  the  south  bank  to  Epernay.  This  day's  journey  was 
memorable  for  the  worst  blockade  in  which  the  55th  ever  became 
involved.  Several  influences  conspired  to  cause  the  congestion :  The 
3d  Corps  field  artillery  started  over  an  hour  late,  disregarding  orders, 
and  attempted  to  crowd  into  the  same  road  as  the  31st  Brigade, 
before  the  latter  had  cleared  it — their  frightened  horses  forced  our 
guns  to  halt;  Treloup  streets  were  narrow  and  had  many  a  sharp 
corner  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  unwieldy  tractors,  whose 
drivers  had  not  yet  mastered  the  trick  of  making  their  elephants 
"walk  around  a  corner  on  their  hind  legs'';  the  Verneuil  bridge 
was  so  lacking  in  width  that  the  caterpillars  actually  ran  on  the 
side-walks;  the  roads  were  slippery  with  mud;  some  tractors  had 
gone  ''dead,"  and  in  consequence  certain  guns  were  drawn  by  two 
Nash-Quad  trucks  each;  some  trucks  were  "lame";  one  tractor 
broke  down  right  on  the  bridge;  and  the  French  M.  P.'s  completed 
the  confusion  by  their  mistaken  assertion  of  authority — instead  of 
permitting  a  steady  stream  to  cross  the  bridge  in  one  direction  for  a 
considerable  period,  they  allowed  only  a  few  vehicles  to  cross  to- 
ward the  south,  and  then  sent  a  few  toward  the  north,  and  thereby 
wasted  much  valuable  time.  It  took  the  guns  six  hours  to  go  five 
miles;  and  meanwhile  the  supply  trains  of  the  French  Army  were 
blocked  from  both  directions.  In  order  to  prevent  a  repetition  of 
this  experience,  the  orders  were  that  "crippled"  tractors  entrain  at 
Dormans;  and  the  French  commander  directed  the  guns  and  the 
marching  column  (1,000  men  of  the  55th)  to  embark  on  cars  at  Eper- 
nay and  ride  the  remainder  of  the  distance.    As  it  turned  out.  Dor- 


140  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

mans  possessed  no  loading  facilities;  and  the  cripples  had  to  creep 
slowly  along  the  highway  as  far  as  Epernay.  There  on  Sept. 
13,  the  heavy  and  marching  columns  were  placed  on  trains,  under 
command  of  Maj.  Holbrook,  the  men  camping  in  the  city  park 
until  their  cars  were  ready,  and  proceeded  to  Souilly,  arriving 
Sept.  16;  one  sad  fatality  occurred  as  an  incident  to  the  embarka- 
tion— Sgt.  William  H.  Woolhouse  of  Bat.  E,  reaching  back  for 
his  canteen,  slipped  and  fell  beneath  his  gun  and  was  run  over, 
with  the  result  that  he  died  two  days  later,  on  Sept.  15. 

During  the  blockade,  a  few,  who  chanced  to  halt  near  their 
supply  column,  had  both  time  and  means  to  eat  the  "meal  of  their 
lives,"  while  most  of  the  officers  and  men,  far  less  fortunate,  went 
from  early  morning  to  late  afternoon  without  eating.  In  order 
to  avoid  the  congested  roads,  certain  staff  cars  took  more  round- 
about routes  from  Dormans  to  Epernay,  going  south  by  way 
of  Montmort,  and  incidentally  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  visit  to 
certain  out-of-the-way  French  shops,  where  the  officers  "stocked 
up"  with  fruit,  sweets,  champagne  and,  somewhat  farther  along, 
with  a  "real,  live  pumpkin."  The  champagne  bottles  had  to  be 
carefully  watched  to  prevent  mysterious  disappearance  (and  did 
eventually  vanish),  but  the  pumpkin  was  easily  safeguarded  and 
eventually  was  transformed  into  luscious  pie.  Amongst  the 
sweets  were  some  exquisite  cookies,  purchased  by  the  prodigal 
Americans  at  a  cost  of  75  francs  for  the  five-pound  box.  One 
captain  leaned  out  of  his  car,  as  he  passed  friends,  and  said,  "  Hand 
over  your  canteen-cup;  I  have  only  one  little  bottle,  but  you  are 
welcome  to  share  it  with  me."  Investigation  revealed  how  it  was 
that  he  could  be  so  generous  with  "one  little  bottle,"  for  it  turned 
out  that  the  provident  captain  had  brought  along  a  great  carboy 
filled  with  refreshments.  The  district  was  crowded  with  French 
troops,  to  whom  the  big  White  car,  seating  nine  people  and  equipped 
with  38  X  7  fire-truck  tires,  worth  $1,250  in  themselves,  was  a 
source  of  wonder;  they  would  crowd  around  and  dig  their  fingers 
into  the  rubber,  and  half  incredulously  say,  "Owi,  oui,  c^est  vraiment 
caoutchouc.''  Many  reminders  there  were  of  the  Germans'  advance 
only  two  months  previously — both  artillery-destruction  and  graves. 

Everyone  had  traveled  at  least  twenty  miles  when,  at  dusk, 
Epernay  was  reached,  and  there  was  unanimous  consent  that  it 
was  time  to  "call  it  a  day";  especially  to  the  marching  men  did 
it  come  with  the  force  of  a  blow,  to  be  informed  that  camp  was 


To  the  " Meuse-Argonne'^  Front  141 

five  miles  farther  on.  The  Band  upon  reaching  their  destination 
crept  into  an  abandoned  cow-shed  and  dropped  off  in  slumber; 
trucks  were  emptied  of  freight  and  sent  back  for  the  exhausted 
marchers,  and  loaded  up  with  fifty  men  to  a  "Riker'*  or  "Kelly." 
All  this  had  to  be  accompHshed  in  the  darkness  of  night;  and  the 
man  with  feline  ability  to  see  in  the  surrounding  blackness  was 
most  useful.  It  was  midnight  before  the  31st  Brigade  had  all 
arrived  at  their  destination,  a  tired  lot,  the  55th  in  Oiry  and  the 
56th  in  nearby  Chouilly;  and  these  towns  promptly  received 
the  nick-names  of  "Weary"  and  "Silly."  Lt.  Crane  testified  that 
altho  the  men  were  utterly  exhausted  by  such  moves  as  this,  being 
on  the  road  forty  or  fifty  hours  without  sleep  and  with  very  little 
to  eat,  so  that  they  would  go  to  sleep  in  an  instant  if  they  were 
momentarily  idle  and  many  times  had  to  be  pulled  from  beneath 
the  wheels  of  the  guns  before  the  tractors  could  start,  he  never 
recalled  an  instance  of  grumbling  when  they  were  awakened  to 
greater  effort. 

At  a  point  where  the  road  was  sufficiently  wide  for  three  ve- 
hicles to  go  abreast,  the  driver  of  a  badly  steering  "Nash-Quad" 
was  unlucky  enough  to  scrape  the  car  in  which  a  party  of  French 
officers  were  proceeding  in  the  opposite  direction.  Angrily  did 
the  latter  gesticulate  and  vehemently  did  they  talk,  and  one  ran 
after  the  truck,  in  order  to  ascertain  its  number;  but  that  was 
no  place  for  an  American  driver  to  stop — traffic  rules  forbade. 
As  the  irate  Frenchman  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  all  out 
of  wind,  shaking  his  fists  and  shouting  imprecations,  the  American 
disappeared  around  a  curve,  making  a  respectful  salute  with  his 
fingers  on  the  tip  of  his  nose. 

Even  tho  the  guns  were  to  entrain  at  Epernay,  they  had  to  go 
all  the  way  to  Oiry  that  night.  While  climbing  up  a  long  hill  in 
the  darkness,  one  of  them  broke  loose;  and  had  it  not  been  for 
quick  action  on  the  part  of  the  crew,  using  blocks  when  the  brakes 
refused  to  hold,  a  serious  accident  might  have  happened;  for  the 
road  behind  was  full  of  vehicles.  The  marching  column  also 
trudged  the  entire  distance  to  Oiry,  except  as  they  were  able  to 
clamber  aboard  trucks  and  ride  the  last  few  miles. 

From  midnight  of  Sept.  11  until  the  same  hour  Sept.  12,  the 
brigade  enjoyed  real  rest;  and  after  so  strenuous  a  day,  both 
officers  and  men  appreciated  the  lull.  Men  slept  in  their  "pup- 
tents,"  for  the  most  part,  while  the  officers  took  turns  in  enjoy- 


142  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

ing  the  few  beds  which  the  village  afforded.  Lt.  Col.  Dusenbury 
installed  himself  in  some  comfortable  quarters  at  a  champagne 
factory,  where  the  liquid  was  sold  for  $1  per  bottle,  and  soon  the 
custom  of  calling  upon  the  new  Lieutenant  Colonel  became  highly 
popular;  indeed  it  was  said  that  everyone  went  except  the  Chap- 
lain. At  Oiry  the  regiment  saw  how  the  French  had  built  a  cut- 
across  railroad,  and  estabHshed  connections  between  Chdlons 
and  Paris,  when  their  direct  line  was  broken  at  Chateau-Thierry. 
As  the  threshing  season  was  commencing,  there  was  an  oppor- 
tunity to  learn  the  process;  the  threshing-machine  was  built 
as  a  fixture  in  the  stone  barn,  and  was  operated  by  horse-power — 
while  all  members  of  the  family  who  were  not  at  war,  both  male 
and  female,  stood  by  to  feed  the  sheaves  amongst  the  "beaters." 
Altho  polite  readers  object  to  seeing  the  word  "manure"  set 
forth  in  plain  type,  they  will  pardon  the  lapse,  in  connection  with 
a  narrative  of  the  55th  in  Oiry;  one  of  the  men,  while  walking 
thru  the  courtyard  of  a  large  farm-house,  upon  what  seemed 
perfectly  solid  ground,  howbeit  close  to  the  manure  pile  and 
covered  with  a  little  loose  straw,  suddenly  found  himself  pre- 
cipitated into  a  six-foot-deep  pit  of  the  liquid  variety  of  fertilizer, 
so  that  he  had  to  swim.  When  he  emerged,  he  was  a  sight — or, 
rather,  a  smell.  During  the  day,  tidings  were  received  of  the 
previous  day's  American  attack  at  St.  Mihiel,  with  the  reassuring 
information  that  the  annoying  salient,  of  four  years'  standing, 
was  rapidly  disappearing;  some  officers  began  to  worry  as  to 
whether  the  Yanks  could  take  care  of  the  many  prisoners,  whom 
they  bade  fair  soon  to  capture — the  55th  did  not  yet  know  what  a 
willing  fellow  the  German  prisoner  was  proving  to  be. 

This  day  also  marked  the  full  development  of  a  lusty  salvaging 
talent  amongst  the  55th.  A  regiment  had  to  "salvage"  when 
their  requisitions  failed  to  bring  adequate  response  from  the 
Quartermaster;  they  would  get  what  they  could  from  various 
"dumps"  of  ordnance  and  engineering  and  other  property,  and 
would  procure  other  essentials  wherever  they  found  the  desired 
supplies.  It  was  unsafe  to  leave  an  unguarded  truck  by  the 
roadside;  for,  ere  the  owner  returned,  his  tires  or  carburetor  were 
likely  to  have  been  transferred  to  some  passing  vehicle.  The 
officer  in  charge  of  a  divisional  store-house  long  wondered  what 
became  of  certain  barrels  of  recoil-cylinder-  oil,  which  "walked 
off"  one  afternoon,  while  the  aforesaid  officer  was  chatting  with 


To  the  ^' Meuse-Argonne'^  Front  143 

an  innocent  supply-lieutenant  of  the  55th.  The  regiment  were 
entitled  to  eight  rolling-kitchens  and  seven  tank  trucks,  accord- 
ing to  the  equipment-manual,  and  they  badly  needed  both;  food 
must  be  cooked  while  the  column  was  in  motion,  if  the  meal  was 
to  be  ready  within  a  reasonable  time  after  arrival,  and  water  was 
usually  so  scarce  and  bad  that  a  supply  always  had  to  be  taken 
along.  But  neither  of  these  essentials  had  been  provided.  While 
at  Oiry,  the  supply  officers  helped  themselves  to  certain  French 
rolHng-kitchens  and  water-wagons,  at  times  when  the  owners 
were  either  looking  elsewhere  or  seemingly  failing  to  comprehend 
what  was  happening;  and  it  came  to  be  reported  that  "among 
a  crowd  of  determined  Yank  salvagers,  the  poilus  were  as  babes 
in  the  woods."  When  later,  however,  bills  came  in  from  the 
French,  as  they  usually  did,  for  second-hand  apparatus  at  the 
price  of  new,  it  began  to  appear  that  the  poilus  were  not  wholly 
unsophisticated. 

Bidding  a  temporary  farewell  to  the  guns  and  marchers,  the 
truck  and  auto  column,  about  midnight  on  Thursday,  Sept.  12, 
began  a  seventeen-mile  journey  to  Courtisols,  passing  about  day- 
break thru  Chalons,  the  battle-field  on  which  the  original  Huns 
had  met  defeat  nearly  fifteen  hundred  years  previously.  All 
batteries  had  been  instructed  to  regulate  their  progress  upon 
that  of  the  last  unit  in  their  column.  Because  of  the  noise,  there 
was  difficulty  in  making  drivers  on  the  front  of  trucks  hear  shouted 
instructions;  and  one  battery  devized  the  clever  plan  of  seating 
a  man  on  the  tail  of  each  vehicle  and  connecting  him  with  the 
assistant  driver  by  means  of  a  signal  cord.  By  this  and  other 
means  the  column  was  kept  together  fairly  well;  and  early  in 
the  morning  of  Friday,  Sept.  13,  the  regiment  enjoyed  the  luxury 
of  a  refreshing  early  breakfast  at  their  new  stopping-place.  "Fri- 
day the  13th'*  proved  to  be  nowise  unlucky;  and  the  55th  long 
remembered  Courtisols  on  account  of  the  town's  general  neat- 
ness and  the  trim  Foyer  du  Soldat,  or  French  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut,  and 
the  big  armful  of  white  champagne  grapes  which  could  be  pur- 
chased for  a  franc.  The  regiment  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
the  Courtisols  town-crier  proclaim  a  great  American  victory 
at  St.  Mihiel — the  complete  disappearance  of  the  salient  and  the 
capture  of  two  entire  German  divisions. 

The  night  of  Sept.  13-14  was  again  spent  on  the  road,  journey- 
ing from  Courtisols  to  Charmontois  I'Abb^  by  way  of  Somme- 


144  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Vesle,  Moivre,  Noirlieu  and  Givry;  the  regiment  arrived  Satur- 
day morning,  Sept.  14,  and  remained  until  Sunday  evening. 
Charmontois  lay  just  to  the  south  of  the  Argonne  Forest,  and 
was  a  quiet  little  place,  sleepy  in  the  warm  sunshine  of  a  Septem- 
ber day;  the  only  lively  spot  in  the  village  was  the  inn,  where 
they  dispensed  some  excellent  beer — in  fact,  a  connoisseur  de- 
clared that  the  nearer  one  got  to  the  German  frontier,  the  better 
the  beer  was.  The  men  spent  the  time  resting  and  cleaning  up, 
and  enjoying  their  mail — ^the  first  the  Chaplain  had  been  able  to 
procure  for  them  since  leaving  the  Vesle.  As  the  56th  were  also 
billeted  in  Charmontois — Charmontois  le  Roi  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Aisne  River  as  distinguished  from  Charmontois  TAbb^ 
on  the  eastern  side — an  opportunity  presented  itself,  Sunday,  for 
holding  a  brigade  church  service;  while  Chaplain  Edward  T. 
Reilly  of  the  56th  did  not  see  his  way  clear  to  combine  Catholic 
Mass  with  the  mihtary  church,  and  felt  obliged  to  conduct  Mass 
for  men  of  both  regiments  in  the  village  church,  the  non-Catholics 
of  both  organizations  assembled  under  the  apple-trees  in  an  or- 
chard near  the  cemetery,  and  joined  with  Chaplain  Cutler  in  the 
Holy  Communion.  The  outdoor  worshipers  had  assistance  from 
the  55th  Band  and  from  the  56th's  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary.  Many 
of  the  battalion  officers  motored  to  Rampont,  where  the  3d  Corps 
headquarters  was  established,  and  received  preliminary  instruc- 
tions regarding  firing-positions.  As  the  billeting  officers  were 
also  out  performing  their  function,  the  battalion  messes  were 
nearly  deserted.  One  battalion  had  arranged  a  chicken  dinner 
for  Sunday;  few  were  *'at  home"  to  enjoy  it,  the  chicken  was 
tough,  and  yet  it  disappeared  and  was  duly  charged  for;  so  that 
the  "alleged  chicken  dinner"  took  its  place  amongst  the  bat- 
talion controversies.  Some  alarm  was  occasioned  by  aeroplanes 
approaching  in  a  threatening  manner  and  "letting  loose"  their 
machine-gun  fire;  but  these  soon  proved  to  be  French  machines, 
engaged  in  battle  practise — of  course,  not  firing  in  the  direction 
of  any  living  targets.  Muddy  roads  occasioned  difficulty  for 
some  of  the  trucks;  and  more  than  one  vehicle  required  assistance 
in  disengaging  itself  from  the  clutch  of  French  "real  estate." 
A  second  lieutenant  yoked  together  two  Nash-Quads,  so  as  to  gain 
sufficient  power  to  extricate  a  third  truck  from  the  roadside  ditch, 
and  when  he  thought  that  everything  was  ready,  gave  the  signal  for 
starting;  the  two   sound  vehicles  plunged  ahead  amid  mighty 


To  the  *^ Meuse-Argonne^^  Front  145 

din  and  uproar,  but  the  cripple  remained  stationary  in  the  mud — 
then  at  length  the  officer  discovered  that  he  had  forgotten  to 
establish  connection  between  the  victim  and  the  would-be  res- 
cuers. 

On  Sunday  evening,  Sept.  15,  at  8  o'clock,  the  regiment  moved 
from  Charmontois  and  proceeded  by  way  of  Triaucourt,  Nube- 
court,  Fleury-sur-Aire,  Ippecourt  and  Vadelaincourt  to  Souhesme- 
la-Grande,  passing  from  the  Department  of  the  Marne  to  the 
Department  of  the  Meuse.  In  spite  of  delay  caused  by  the  ditch- 
ing of  a  truck  or  two,  the  column  made  such  good  time  that  it 
arrived  in  Souhesme  about  1  a.  m.  on  Monday.  The  3d  Corps 
had  ordered  us  to  Souhesme  without  providing  room  for  us  there. 
Billets  were  scarce  in  the  village,  owing  to  the  presence  there  of 
a  divisional  Headquarters;  while  cover  for  the  trucks  was  not 
to  be  found.  In  an  emergency  the  men  could  crawl  in  some- 
where; but  orders  were  strict,  now  that  we  were  near  the  enemy, 
that  trucks  must  be  concealed  before  day-break.  Searching  on 
their  own  accord,  the  officers  of  the  2d  Batl.  made  their  way  a 
kilometer  farther  north,  by  the  aid  of  a  little  moonhght,  and  at 
Souhesme-la-Petite  managed  to  hide  their  vehicles — one  against 
the  side  of  a  house,  another  in  a  barn,  two  under  a  big  tree,  eight 
or  ten  in  a  gully  road — and  camouflaged  them  quite  effectively. 
A  peasant  complained  that  they  were  blocking  the  entrance  of 
his  barn,  and  induced  the  men  to  move  his  farming-implements 
out  for  him,  by  hand ;  then  breakfast  was  eaten  and  everyone  went 
to  sleep.  Indeed  the  drivers  and  chauffeurs  had  been  on  duty 
so  constantly  that  they  could  not  keep  their  eyes  open — one 
chauffeur  had  reached  the  point  where  he  was  driving  in  his  sleep, 
and  even  ditched  his  Dodge  car  while  in  this  condition,  without 
awaking.  As  there  was  no  shelter  for  the  trucks  of  the  1st  and  3d 
Battalions  and  the  56th  Regiment,  the  officers  had  to  disregard 
camouflage  instructions  completely,  and  parked  their  transportation 
on  the  very  top  of  a  hill;  a  signboard  with  letters  twenty  feet  high 
could  not  have  advertized  their  presence  more  clearly.  All  that 
saved  them  was  that  French  trucks  had  been  accustomed  to  park 
there,  and  had  rendered  the  Germans  accustomed  to  the  sight. 
Reports  of  this  condition  of  affairs  must  have  reached  the  3d 
Corps  at  Rampont;  for  a  staff-officer  happened  along  soon  after- 
wards.   At  first  he  ''blew  up"  the  2d  Batl.,  not  seeing  the  others; 

but   upon  further   consideration   decided  that  they   were  doing 
10 


146  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

pretty  well  and  moved  on  to  Souhesme-la-Grande,  and  discovered 
the  real  trouble.  Col.  Sevier  concluded  to  move  on  to  a  better 
position;  within  a  half-hour  came  a  message  from  the  Corps  con- 
firming his  decision  and  directing  that  the  trucks  proceed  at  once, 
nearer  to  Verdun,  and  take  shelter  beneath  the  woods  of  Camp 
Moulin  Brule,  distant  only  seven  kilometers  from  that  famed 
city.  It  was  further  stipulated  that  trucks  must  move  at  fif- 
teen-minute intervals,  so  as  not  to  apprize  the  enemy  that  a 
large  convoy  was  on  the  road.  When  the  proper  authorities 
were  reminded  that  a  single  day  would  not  be  long  enough  to 
move  all,  in  any  such  deliberate  manner,  they  answered,  ''Use 
your  judgment";  so  the  trucks  were  despatched  at  ''fifteen-minute 
intervals,"  an  interval  expiring  about  once  in  three  minutes. 
By  dusk,  all  were  at  the  designated  camp,  and  well  camouflaged 
under  the  trees.  MouHn  Brule  proved  to  be  an  old  French  frontier 
fortification,  an  outpost  of  Verdun,  and  was  amply  large  to  shelter 
both  the  55th  and  the  56th  regiments. 

The  Germans  could  hardly  fail  to  notice  unusual  road  activity, 
under  existing  conditions;  and  altho  they  had  never  before  mo- 
lested Moulin  Brule,  they  sent  their  planes  over  to  drop  a  wel- 
come upon  us,  shortly  after  the  regiment's  arrival — Monday 
evening,  Sept.  16.  An  additional  provocation  was  offered  by 
the  guns;  they  had  detrained  at  Souilly  that  day,  and  were  mov- 
ing during  the  evening  toward  Moulin  Brule,  with  flames  shoot- 
ing a  foot  high  out  of  the  tractor  exhausts,  and  with  grinding 
and  snorting  which  could  be  heard  an  hour  before  the  column 
came  within  sight.  Upwards  of  one  hundred  fifty  bombs  were 
dropped,  both  in  the  woods  and  along  the  road;  all  took  such 
shelter  as  was  possible  in  existing  ditches  and  splinter-proofs 
under  the  trees  (all  except  one  or  two  who  were  too  sleepy  to 
wake  up  even  for  "Jerry  the  Bomber");  and  a  sergeant  major 
mounted  guard  with  a  piece  of  scantling  and  threatened  to  knock 
off  any  head  that  was  exposed  above  ground.  On  the  road  the 
tractors  stopped  and  waited  for  the  storm  to  pass.  The  55th  were 
so  fortunate  as  to  escape  without  casualties;  but  the  French  lost 
a  lieutenant  wounded  and  three  men  killed,  while  the  56th  suf- 
fered the  loss  of  more  than  one  dozen  men. 

On  Sept.  17  and  18,  the  brigade,  now  all  together  again,  rested, 
while  they  made  needed  repairs  to  the  transportation — indeed 
the  56th  retained  Moulin  Brule  as  their  "rest-camp"  during  the 


To  the  ''  Meuse-Argonne'^  Front  147 

ensuing  month;  it  was  the  first  opportunity  most  of  the  regi- 
ment had  to  undress  and  lie  down,  in  eight  days.  The  3d  Corps 
post-office  had  just  located  at  Souhesme;  and  a  big  mail  was 
handed  out  to  the  55th  as  a  reward  for  long  and  patient  waiting. 
Unexpected  word  was  received  about  this  time  from  the  regi- 
ment's friends  back  at  Aubiere.  The  majors  of  the  303d  Field 
Artillery,  a  Camp  Devens  organization,  reported  to  Col.  Sevier 
for  instruction  and  training,  and  stated  that  their  division  was 
broken  up  for  replacements  and  their  regiment  transformed  into 
a  motorized,  G.  P.  F.  "outfit,"  and  that  they  were  training  at 
O.  &  T.  Center  No.  3,  with  Headquarters  in  the  very  village 
formerly  occupied  by  the  55th;  it  seemed  Uke  a  message  from 
home.  The  303d  was  destined  to  reach  the  front  just  before  the 
armistice,  and  did  not  get  into  the  battle.  Meanwhile  the  55th's 
officers  were  out  reconnoitering  and  exploring  the  Verdun  battle- 
field; altho  the  process  was  hazardous  (one  party  in  the  famous 
Bismarck  tunnel  wondered  whether  they  could  ever  find  their 
way  out)  and  kept  the  explorers  within  both  view  and  range 
of  the  enemy  batteries,  still  it  was  thrillingly  interesting — and 
the  need  for  reconnoitering  supplied  an  adequate  excuse.  The 
55th  were  first  assigned  to  the  vicinity  of  Charny-sur-Meuse,  below 
Verdun  on  the  river.  This  was  changed  to  Chattancourt,  just 
below  Le  Mort  Homme  hill,  where  300,000  men  had  lost  their 
lives  in  1916  and  1917,  and  right  on  the  famous  battle-field.  Finally, 
on  Sept.  19,  orders  came  from  the  1st  Army  that  the  regiment 
were  reheved  from  the  3d  Corps  and  would  operate  under  direc- 
tions of  "Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,"  of  which  Maj.  Gen.  Edward 
F.  McGlachlin  was  "Chief."  The  Foret  de  Hesse  was  designated 
as  the  place  in  which  the  55th  should  enter  battle. 

Another  all-night  march  began  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday, 
Sept.  18.  The  regiment  moved  westward  along  the  Paris-Metz 
highway,  past  Dombasle,  the  movement  being  carried  out  amid 
inky  darkness,  with  only  an  occasional  moon-beam  shining  thru  the 
clouds;  meanwhile  the  road  was  under  shell-fire  from  large-caliber 
German  guns.  Between  Dombasle  and  Recicourt  the  column 
divided;  and  while  the  supply-trucks  moved  into  the  Bois  de 
Brocourt,  the  Bois  de  St.  Pierre  and  the  Bois  de  Fouch^re,  south  of 
the  road,  the  men  and  most  of  the  guns  turned  to  the  right  and 
moved  northward  into  the  Foret  de  Hesse.  In  the  course  of 
this  procedure,  the  "  Jiggerboff us "  met  with  an  accident,  break- 


148  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

ing  the  steering-apparatus  of  the  limber-wheels,  and  immediately 
began  to  wobble  along  like  a  truck  with  broken  steering-knuckles. 
By  tying  a  rope  to  the  steering  mechanism  of  each  wheel  and 
having  two  men,  one  on  each  side,  walk  along  holding  fast  to  the 
ropes,  the  crew  managed  to  keep  up  the  progress  of  the  gun — 
but  under  great  difl&culty.  The  other  guns  waited  for  the  cripple. 
Because  the  "Jiggerboffus''  could  not  well  stop,  it  forged  ahead; 
and  it  was  actually  very  early  in  reaching  its  position.  By  the 
morning  of  Sept.  19,  Batteries  A,  B  and  F  had  arrived  near  their 
assigned  stations,  and  twenty-four  hours  later  all  six  units  were 
on  the  ground.  Bat.  C  being  ready  first  of  all — and  thereby  gaining 
warm  commendation  from  the  French,  "one  of  the  best  pieces 
of  work  seen  during  the  entire  war."  As  Sept.  20  chanced  to  be 
a  cloudy  day,  with  little  danger  of  enemy  observation,  nothing 
prevented  the  working  parties  from  continuing  labor  on  their 
emplacements.  By  5  p.  m.  on  Friday,  Sept.  20,  eleven  and  one-half 
days  after  leaving  Arcis  le  Ponsart,  Col.  Sevier  was  able  to  re- 
port twenty-three  guns  "ready  to  fire,"  and  the  remaining  gun 
nearly  so.  Rest-camps  were  established  in  the  woods  south  of 
Recicourt,  and  these  were  not  entirely  abandoned  until  the  ar- 
mistice; they  were  well  protected,  but  were  too  far  from  the  guns 
to  be  of  the  highest  value — telephonic  communication  was  im- 
possible over  so  great  a  distance.  The  guns  were  emplaced  in 
the  Bois  de  Chattancourt  section  of  the  For^t  de  Hesse,  along 
a  forest  road  running  toward  Avocourt,  with  the  1st  Batl.  on 
the  right,  the  3d  in  the  center  and  the  2d  on  the  left.  The  regi- 
mental post  of  command  was  also  in  the  Foret  de  Hesse,  at  the 
"Camp  du  Gendarme,"  about  two  thousand  yards  in  the  rear 
of  the  guns. 

When  the  officers  and  men  of  regimental  Headquarters  looked 
about  them  on  the  wet  and  cheerless  morning  of  Sept.  19,  they 
noted  many  warning  signs  along  the  roadside: 

^^Eteignez  toutes  vos  lumihes." 

**Le  porte  de  Casques  est  obligatoire" 

"Gas  alert  zone." 

^^  Route  gard^J^ 

^^  Defense  de  stationer J^ 

*^  Fractionnez  les  convois." 

"Keep  to  the  right." 


To  the  ^' Meuse-Argonne^'  Front  149 

From  these  indications,  as  well  as  from  the  strictness  with 
which  the  injunctions  were  enforced  by  the  military  police,  and 
from  the  troops  thronging  the  road  and  all  moving  northward,  the 
55th  were  led  to  realize  that  they  had  arrived  at  the  front — their 
journey  to  the  Meuse-Argonne  was  completed. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German 

DURING  the  five  days  which  elapsed  between  the  arrival 
of  the  55th  at  the  Meuse-Argonne  front  and  the  com- 
mencement of  the  offensive,  the  regiment  had  opportunity 
to  do  some  quiet  observing;  they  found  themselves  in  a  very 
different  position  from  any  previously  occupied  by  them.  The 
enemy  lines  were  only  4,000  yards  distant  from  the  heavy  American 
guns,  less  than  one-half  as  far  away  as  at  the  Vesle,  while  the 
regimental  post  of  command  was  only  2,000  yards  in  the  rear  of 
the  guns.  Any  German  artillery,  even  the  lightest,  could  easily 
reach  both  the  batteries  and  the  post  of  command. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  new  theory  was  beginning  to  control  the 
operation  of  the  Army  Artillery,  a  theory  which  the  American 
experts  may  have  acquired  from  their  opponents,  or  one  perhaps 
which  they  had  thought  out  for  themselves.  Thereafter  instead 
of  being  five  miles  from  the  enemy  lines,  we  were  to  find  our  guns 
emplaced  well  in  advance  of  the  field  artillery  and  not  far  removed 
from  the  infantry,  while  our  rest-camp  was  to  be  with  the  in- 
fantry reserves.  The  heavy  guns  were  pushed  as  far  to  the  front 
as  possible  at  the  inception  of  a  drive,  with  the  idea  that  they 
would  "shoot  up"  the  enemy  batteries  and  roads,  and  would  be 
able  to  keep  the  foe  in  range,  as  the  latter  retired  before  the  ad- 
vancing Yank  infantry.  Starting  with  their  targets  nearby,  the 
55th  could  follow  up  the  retreating  enemy  until  the  latter  were 
19,000  yards  distant;  and  as  the  event  proved,  the  "big  guns'' 
did  almost  infinite  damage  during  that  long  period.  Of  course 
there  was  a  possibility  that  the  enemy  might  attack  first,  and  cap- 
ture the  American  guns;  there  was  little  chance  of  moving  the 
latter  away  with  sufficient  speed  to  save  them,  in  the  face  of  a 
sharp  advance  by  the  Germans.  The  infantry  line,  between  the 
guns  and  the  enemy,  was  not  invincible.  But  the  artillery  ex- 
perts on  the  general  staff  planned  to  use  the  artillerymen  as 
infantry  in  the  face  of  such  an  attack,  remembering  that  every 
cannoneer  was  armed  with  either  rifle  or  revolver.  In  point  of 
fact,  the  Germans  never  did  make  such  a  drive  against  our  lines 
while  we  were  getting  ready  to  attack  them;  and  it  became  known 


Enter  J  the  Army  Artillery;  Exitj  the  German  151 

that,  on  at  least  one  occasion,  they  mistook  the  American  tractors 
for  tanks,  and  were  so  concerned  to  meet  an  expected  onslaught 
by  those  monsters  that  they  never  thought  of  doing  anything 
aggressive. 

An  advanced  position,  within  easy  range  of  German  artillery, 
was  not  comfortable  or  safe.  During  the  days  of  waiting,  a  dud 
struck  just  behind  Bat.  E's  guns,  landing  between  a  tractor  and 
the  tiny  tent  in  which  the  driver  was  sleeping,  bounded  against 
the  tractor's  radiator  and  smashed  it,  and  then  fell  into  a  nearby 
shell-hole;  everyone  shuddered  to  think  what  would  have  hap- 
pened if  the  projectile  had  exploded.  Another  tractor  had  its 
gas-tank  punctured  by  a  shell-fragment.  Bat.  F  had  men  wounded 
on  Sept.  22;  Pvt.  Emmons  W.  Putnam  was  knocked  off  the  seat 
of  his  tractor  by  the  concussion  of  an  exploding  shell,  and  Pvt. 
De  Vito  received  slight  injury.  The  2d  Batl.  Headquarters  heard  a 
shell  explode  amongst  the  3d  Batl.  dug-outs  on  Sept.  25,  and 
telephoned  to  inquire  whether  anyone  had  been  hurt;  back  came 
the  answer,  "Yes,  it  did  sound  close,  and  I  will  see  about  it," 
and  then  a  moment  later,  "It  hit  the  top  of  my  dug-out,  but  it 
did  not  go  thru.''  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  regimental  post- 
ofl&ce  had  its  narrowest  escape;  the  establishment  was  located  in 
a  truck  and  came  within  a  very  few  yards  of  serving  as  target  for 
a  mustard-gas  shell — a  shell  which  was  by  no  means  a  dud.  Cas- 
ualties actually  took  place  in  the  112th  Engineers,  who  were 
encamped  in  immediate  proximity  to  the  post-office. 

So  many  Americans  had  suffered  from  German  gas  during  pre- 
vious engagements  that  the  army  entertained  an  extreme  respect 
for  that  type  of  ammunition;  every  night  gas-alarms  would  be 
relayed  along  the  lines;  and  everyone  had  to  awake  and  don  the 
gas-mask.  An  alarm  was  given  by  pounding  on  empty  artillery 
cartridge-cases,  or  by  sounding  claxon  horns,  or  ringing  bells, 
or  firing  rifles,  and  all  the  time  shouting  "gas";  the  noise  came  with 
a  jarring  effect  on  one's  nerves,  when  one  was  utterly  tired  and  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  night's  first  sound  slumber.  These  alarms 
originated  at  some  point  where  a  gas  shell  or  container  had  fallen — 
the  trouble  was,  that  they  were  not  confined  within  reasonable 
limits,  and  often  spread  for  miles.  After  losing  one  night's  rest 
from  this  cause,  the  55th  made  a  rule  that  the  gas  sentinel  must 
first  sense  the  presence  of  actual  gas  before  repeating  an  alarm 
which  had  originated  at  a  distance;  and  in  this  manner  the  regi- 


152  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

mental  repose  was  safeguarded.  One  alarm  was  squelched  by  two 
tiny  French  donkeys;  when  they  were  awakened  by  the  racket, 
they  decided  to  have  a  share  in  the  uproar,  and  raised  their  voices 
in  mighty  unison,  easily  making  themselves  heard.  Perhaps  it 
was  the  participation  of  real  jackasses  in  the  chorus  which  made 
the  soldiers  feel  that  they  were  merely  "playing  second  fiddle '* — 
at  any  rate  the  gongs  and  horns  and  fire-arms  at  once  became 
silent. 

Great  care  was  exercized  not  to  betray  to  the  enemy  the  ad- 
vanced state  of  the  American  preparations;  a  thin  screen  of  French 
infantry  occupied  the  foremost  trenches  until  the  evening  of  Sept. 
25 — troops  left  behind  when  the  2d  French  Army  gave  over  the 
sector  to  Gen.  Pershing's  divisions;  and  only  French  was  per- 
mitted to  be  spoken  over  the  telephone  lines,  for  fear  of  discovery 
by  listeners-in.  Some  of  the  messages  must  have  been  charac- 
terized by  a  distinct  Yank  accent,  but  they  did  not  arouse  much 
suspicion  amongst  the  enemy.  Greatest  care  was  exercized  by 
the  Americans  to  render  themselves  inconspicuous  when  hostile 
planes  were  over-head;  and  the  gravest  danger  of  detection  arose 
when  tractors  were  moving  guns  into  position.  So  listening-posts 
were  established  at  a  distance,  to  note  the  approach  of  the  aerial 
observers;  and  when  such  were  heard,  word  was  signaled  to  the 
tractors  to  keep  quiet  until  the  danger  passed.  Altho  the  Ger- 
mans manifested  signs  of  restlessness  while  the  American  blow 
was  preparing,  they  clearly  did  not  realize  what  a  formidable 
enemy  was  massing  against  their  front. 

A  vocabulary  greeted  the  regiment  in  the  Fordt  de  Hesse,  which 
was  new  to  some  of  them.  They  had  fought  as  battalions,  each 
of  them  part  of  a  regiment,  and  the  latter  a  part  of  the  31st  Brigade; 
now  the  battalions  were  "groups,'^  each  known  by  its  commander's 
name,  the  regiment  was  the  ''sub-groupment  Dusenbury,"  and 
together  with  some  French  units  constituted  the  "sub-grouping 
Sevier,"  and  the  American  brigade  had  been  expanded  into  the 
"Aire  grouping."  This  new  designation  was  derived  from  the 
Aire  River,  the  little  stream  which  flowed  northward  between  the 
For^t  de  Hesse  and  the  Argonne  Forest;  the  grouping  was  com- 
manded by  Brig.  Gen.  William  C.  Davis,  who  had  hitherto 
been  in  command  of  the  32d  Brigade.  Col.  Sevier  had  under  his 
direction  not  only  the  55th  Regiment  (63  ofl&cers  and  1,621  men) 
but  also  the  French  artillery  commanded  by  Col.  Albaret  (43 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  153 

officers  and  1,362  men) ;  the  latter  was  subdivided  into  four  groups, 
*'Marteau"  comprizing  eight  270  mm.  mortars,  "Croiet"  with  six 
240  mm.  G.  P.'s,  "de  Geoffroy"  with  two  16  cm.  marines,  and 
"Deguise''  with  ten  155  mm.  guns.  The  56th  Regiment  together 
with  their  cooperating  French  batteries,  were  known  as  "sub- 
grouping  Long";  the  French  artillery  with  the  31st  Brigade  were 
portions  of  the  56th,  73d  and  78th  Regiments  and  the  Marine 
Artillery. 

The  55th  were  to  fight  this  battle  while  stationed  at  the  very 
center  of  Pershing's  line.  There  were  two  French  corps  (the 
17th  and  the  2d  Colonial)  east  of  the  Meuse  River  under  American 
command,  an  arrangement  by  which  the  battle-field  of  Verdun 
was  left  to  the  keeping  of  troops  who  had  already  so  heroically 
made  good  their  assertion,  "They  shall  not  pass";  but  the  brunt 
of  the  new  offensive  was  to  be  between  the  Meuse  and  the  Argonne, 
and  the  blow  was  to  be  struck  by  American  arms.  The  army 
was  formed  in  three  corps,  the  3d  on  the  right,  nearest  Verdun, 
the  5th  in  the  center,  and  the  1st  on  the  left,  between  the  Aire 
River  and  the  middle  of  the  Argonne  Forest.  The  5th  Corps,  with 
which  the  55th  served  thruout  the  entire  seven  weeks  of  conflict, 
had  been  newly  organized  for  the  St.  Mihiel  Offensive,  and  was 
under  the  command  of  Maj.  Gen.  George  H.  Cameron;  and  con- 
sisted, at  the  start,  of  three  divisions  (from  right  to  left),  the 
79th,  the  37th  and  the  91st,  with  the  32d  Division  and  the  1st 
Division  in  reserve.  Altho  the  55th  fought  in  the  sector  of  the 
5th  Corps,  their  tactical  direction,  until  toward  the  very  last, 
came  from  the  Headquarters  of  Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,  or 
from  Maj.  Gen.  Ernest  Hinds,  Chief  of  Artillery,  1st  Army. 

It  is  necessary  for  the  reader  to  obtain  a  conception  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive.  The  most  tremendous 
battle  in  which  units  later  of  the  55th  had  ever  engaged,  the  most 
terrible  in  all  American  history,  was  the  dread  struggle  at  Gettys- 
burg on  July  1,  2  and  3,  1863;  this  battle  affords  a  standard  by 
which  to  measure  Pershing's  assault  upon  the  foe.  At  Gettys- 
burg the  line  was  thirteen  miles  long,  in  France  it  was  nineteen — 
not  a  notable  difference,  so  far  as  mere  area  was  concerned.  Meade 
commanded  85,000  men  on  his  line  and  was  opposed  by  75,000; 
Pershing  commanded  770,000  men  and  had,  against  him,  362,000. 
Meade  established  a  record  in  his  day  by  concentrating  the  fire 
of  80  cannon  for  a  period  of  30  minutes;  Pershing  had  3,928  guns 


154  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

of  three-inch  caliber  or  greater  in  action  for  six  hours  as  a  *'  prep- 
aration'^ for  his  battle.  The  struggle  at  Gettysburg  continued 
three  days  and  resulted  in  the  death  of  5,000  men;  the  Meuse-Ar- 
gonne  lasted  47  continuous  days  (the  55th  was  not  out  of  action 
a  minute)  and  caused  24,500  fatalities.  Gettysburg  was  a  battle 
by  itself,  with  a  well-defined  beginning  and  end,  while  the  Meuse- 
Argonne  Offensive  was  merely  an  operation  within  a  single,  great 
struggle  which  lasted  without  intermission  fifty-one  months,  and 
during  its  closing  period  involved  more  than  3,000,000  Allies  in 
a  vast  attack  along  the  whole  line  between  the  English  Channel 
and  the  Syrian  desert. 

Before  the  55th,  extended  six  successive  lines  of  German  de- 
fense, each  carefully  prepared  and  rendered  impregnable;  from 
a  center  north  of  Verdun  these  systems  radiated  like  the  ribs  of 
a  fan.  First  came  the  Hindenburg  line,  which  the  55th  saw  at 
Malancourt;  second,  the  Hagen  Stellung,  which  we  associated 
with  Varennes  and  Cheppy;  third,  the  Volker  Stellung,  at  Char- 
pentry,  Epinonville,  Ivoiry  and  Montfaucon;  fourth,  the  Kriem- 
hilde  Stellung,  at  Romagne;  fifth,  the  Freya  Stellung;  and  sixth, 
the  Lille-Metz  line  behind  the  Meuse  River.  A  "  switch-line '* 
connected  the  Hagen  and  Volken  Stellungs,  to  the  eastward  of 
Montfaucon.  No  effort  had  been  spared  in  constructing  the 
lines,  and  vast  numbers  of  captive  civilians  were  forced  to  labor 
on  them;  the  enemy  had  held  them  continuously  during  four  years, 
and  believed  that  the  tenure  would  be  permanent.  Concrete 
or  log  dug-outs  and  concrete  "pill-boxes''  dotted  the  lines  at 
frequent  intervals,  and  were  provided  with  every  possible  con- 
venience— heaters,  electric  lights,  and  much  furniture  stolen 
from  French  villages;  the  gardens  were  the  crowning  feature. 
How  the  Germans  loved  cabbage!  white  cabbage,  red  cabbage, 
crinkly  cabbage  were  all  growing  there,  ready  for  the  harvest. 
Old  CoUey  Gibber  has  left  us  the  proverb,  "Stolen  sweets  are 
best";  possibly  he  foresaw  how  the  Americans  would  enjoy  the 
cabbage  which  they  were  soon  to  capture.  Much  sauerkraut 
was  also  found  in  the  dug-outs;  but  of  this  the  Americans  were 
distrustful,  as  they  feared  booby-traps,  and  knew  how  easily 
ground-glass  or  arsenic  could  be  mixed  with  the  favorite  German 
relish. 

According  to  the  plan  of  battle,  the  5th  Corps  was  to  make 
a  bulge  or  salient  in  the  center,  at  the  outset.    Pershing's  right 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German 


155 


flank  was  on  the  River  Meuse  and  the  left  in  the  heart  of  the  Ar- 
gonne  Forest.  Plans  developed  slowly  for  solving  the  river  prob- 
lem; but  from  the  first,  it  was  arranged  to  advance  Pershing's 
Americans  on  the  east  of  the  forest  while  the  4th  French  Army- 
advanced  on  the  west  of  it,  with  the  idea  that  the  two  forces, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  wooded  country,  should  squeeze  the  enemy 
out  of  his  covert.  Progress  both  on  the  Meuse  and  in  the  Argonne 
was  conditioned  upon  an  immediate  and  great  advance  by  the  5th 
Corps. 

All  strategists  recognized  the  Meuse  as  being  the  most  critical 
portion  of  the  German  front;  there  was  the  easiest  approach  to 
Briey,  whence  came  coal  and  iron  for  the  foe,  and,  more  impor- 
tant still,  there  was  the  only  line  of  railway  by  which  he  could 
supply  or  reinforce  his  armies,  or  make  his  escape  in  case  of  dis- 
aster. The  Metz-M^zi^res  railroad  was  the  "exit"  into'  the 
fatherland — with  the  exception  of  a  round-about  route  via  Liege, 
the  only  exit.  If  one  may  change  the  figure,  Belgium  and  northern 
France  constituted  a  vast  bottle,  in  which  were  upwards  of  2,000,000 
Germans;  there  were  only  two 
necks  to  the  bottle,  and  of  these, 
only  one  was  practicable.  Foch 
had  assigned  to  Pershing  the 
task  of  "corking  the  bottle." 
This  would  have  been  under- 
taken earlier  in  the  war,  were 
it  not  for  the  incredible  difficulty 
presented  by  the  terrain;  woods, 
streams,  high  hills  and  deep 
valleys  rendered  the  Argonne 
an  almost  impossible  region 
for  maneuvering  an  army,  and  Corking  the  bottle 

caused  the  Germans  to  regard  it  as  the  safest  section  of  their  line. 

Modern  warfare  may  be  understood  by  comparison  with  the 
game  of  foot-ball.  Success  rewards  the  team  which  is  best  able 
to  advance  the  ball;  and  ability  to  advance  the  ball  is  dependent 
upon  openings,  which  are  made  in  the  opponents'  Hne,  and  upon 
interference  provided  by  fellow-members  of  the  team.  Without 
openings  and  interference,  the  ball  cannot  be  advanced  and  victory 
is  unattainable.  In  the  war-game,  the  infantry  were  the  players 
who  ran  with  the  ball,  and  the  artillery  were  the  ones  charged 


156  The  Fifty-fifih  Artillery 

with  responsibility  for  making  openings  and  furnishing  inter- 
ference; the  preparatory  artillery  fire  broke  down  the  enemy  wire 
and  destroyed  his  trenches  and  guns — made  the  opening — while 
the  rolling-barrage  afforded  protection  to  the  advancing  infan- 
try— provided  interference.  The  doughboys  had  the  more  spec- 
tacular part  of  the  task,  but  the  artilleryman's  work  was  not  a 
whit  less  important.  In  regard  to  relative  peril,  the  artillery  did 
not  suffer  so  frequently  as  did  their  companions;  but  when  the 
stroke  fell,  it  was  apt  to  be  more  damaging;  "the  artillery  gave 
and  took  hard  knocks." 

A  contrast  existed  between  the  French  and  American  troops  in 
their  attitude  toward  their  task;  while  the  poilu,  in  his  gallantry, 
went  to  battle  "as  to  a  festivity,"  the  Yank's  attitude  was  rather 
one  of  grim  determination  to  get  thru  with  the  unpleasant  business 
as  soon  as  possible;  and  he  reminded  one  of  a  man,  saw  in  hand, 
approaching  a  wood-pile.  Certain  "gentleman's  agreements" 
were  in  effect  when  the  Americans  took  over  the  Meuse-Argonne 
sector — there  was  a  spring  near  Avocourt,  which  the  French  used 
for  bathing  purposes  in  the  morning,  and  the  Germans  in  the 
afternoon;  and  it  was  against  the  rules  to  violate  the  Saturday 
half-holiday  by  doing  any  shooting  between  noon  and  midnight 
on  the  last  day  of  the  week;  these  agreements  were  promptly 
repudiated  by  the  Americans.  The  motto  of  the  new-comers  was, 
"end  the  nasty  affair,  the  touter  the  suiter J^ 

While  men  of  the  55th  thought  they  knew  what  traffic-conges- 
tion meant  before  they  reached  the  For^t  de  Hesse,  they  soon 
learned  differently.  The  narrow  road  thru  the  woods  reminded 
them  of  the  narrower  New  England  streets  after  a  prolonged  wet 
season,  with  sticky  mud  ankle-deep. 

They  found  themselves  mingled  in  a  throng  of  trucks,  cannon, 
autos,  horses,  mules,  jackasses  and  marching  men,  and  mile  after 
mile  they  must  "plosh,  plosh,  plosh"  along,  while  the  weight  of 
their  equipment  seemed  to  increase  from  sixty  pounds  to  vastly 
more;  when  a  truck  passed  bearing  the  painted  injunction,  "Load 
not  to  exceed  3  tons,"  a  soldier  exclaimed,  "I  wish  they  had  put 
a  sign  like  that  on  me."  They  exchanged  day  for  night,  and 
made  their  movements  during  the  hours  of  darkness;  for  they 
must  not  expose  themselves  to  observation  by  the  "birds  of  ill 
omen,"  who  loitered  over-head — birds  whose  wings  are  now  clipped, 
thank  the  Lord!    Their  movements  were  entirely  without  lights — 


Enter  J  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  157 

no  flash-lamps  in  their  hands,  no  head-lights  on  the  vehicles,  not 
even  lighted  cigars,  as  a  rule;  for  the  tiny  glow  made  by  a  man 
smoking,  sometimes  brought  destruction  upon  himself  and  his 
comrades.  When  sleeping  time  (in  their  case,  toward  day-break) 
came,  they  retired  to  rest,  retired  to  the  adjoining  field,  and  rested 
on  a  soft  bed — mud  was  the  softest  mattress  in  the  world — each 
man  with  his  head  inside  his  blanket  for  warmth.  Such  was  the 
soldiers'  life,  day  after  day;  and  they  gained  an  appreciative 
understanding  of  Lt.  Jack  Turner's  (Newfoundland)  version  of 
Virgil : 

"Arms  and  the  mud  I  sing — the  mud  we  find 
To  right  and  left,  before  us  and  behind. 
Inside  our  boots,  our  clothes,  our  eyes,  our  ears, 
In  everything  we  own  of  every  kind. 

"We're  getting  used  to  Fritz's  little  game, 
We  don't  find  things  as  bad  as  when  we  came, 
The  shelling  doesn't  bother  us  so  much. 
But  mud  is  everlastingly  the  same. 

"Oh,  Mud!  Mud!  Mud!  Must  raiment,  food  and  bed 
Be  full  of  thee?    Sleep  and  clothed  and  fed. 
Must  you  be  always  with  us  and,  at  last, 
Must  we  be  buried  in  you  when  we're  dead? 

"But  still  'tis  not  much  use  to  raise  a  fuss, 
And  when  we  feel  inclined  to  rave  or  cuss. 
We  find  some  consolation  in  the  thought 
That  Fritz  is  getting  it  as  bad  as  us." 
The  shelling  and  bombing  did,  however,  bother;  shells  came 
with  a  prolonged  whirring  whistle,  ending  with  a  bang!  or  if  fired 
from  high-velocity  guns,  with  the  familiar  "whiz-bang,"  and  bombs 
were  silent  save  for  the  ominous  droning  of  the  plane  over-head 
and  the  earth-shaking  boom!  upon  striking — favors,  they  were, 
from  the  skies,  but  sent  by  children  of  the  devil  and  not  from 
him  who  dwelleth  above.    Sometimes  the  aerial  marauder  would 
drop  all  his  bombs  at  once — "let  down  his  tail-gate  and  dump 
his  load" — and  after  such  an  interruption  of  traffic,  the  troops  were 
almost  certain,  when  they  resumed  their  progress,  to  leave  by  the 
roadside  one  or  more  shallow  graves  marked  by  humble  wooden 


158  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

crosses.  Traffic  rules  were  designed  for  the  purpose  of  minimizing 
these  perils;  and  the  men  adopted  as  their  popular  slogan,  ^'Be 
a  good  sport  and  obey  the  M.  P." — those  were  the  days  before 
the  miUtary  police  had  become  unpopular.  Indeed  Americans 
were  far  too  indifferent  to  danger — they  were  "new"  in  the  war; 
enemy  aviators  used  to  report  that,  in  an  air  raid,  the  French 
rushed  into  the  cellars  and  the  Americans  into  the  streets. 

Some  of  the  troops,  more  often  infantrymen,  threw  away  their 
identification  tags  because  of  sheer  superstition;  they  coupled  the 
number  on  the  disk  with  the  colloquial  expression,  to  ''get  their 
number,"  and  resolved  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  camouflage  their 
numerical  identity.  The  methodical  German  was  accustomed 
to  stamp  a  numeral  on  each  unit  of  artillery  ammunition.  When, 
one  day,  an  American  infantryman  experienced  a  narrow  escape 
from  an  exploding  shell  and  presently,  examining  a  fragment  of  the 
projectile  which  chanced  to  fall  beside  him,  discovered  upon  it 
the  very  group  of  figures  which  he  wore  on  his  identification  tag, 
he  raised  a  loud  outcry,  "The  Hun  has  done  his  worst  to  get  my 
number,  and  has  failed;  he  can  never  hurt  me  now. "  And  this  man 
immediately  lost  all  nervousness.  The  absence  of  tags,  however, 
was  a  great  handicap  to  burial  parties,  who  were  often  unable  to 
identify  the  remains  which  they  interred.  The  spirit  of  the  Yank 
soldiers  was  wonderful.  A  company  of  the  55th,  at  the  close  of  a 
hard  day,  were  standing  in  line  waiting  for  supper;  the  supper, 
when  it  came,  was  to  be  "slum"  and  dry  bread  and  coffee,  and  even 
that  was  late;  the  mud  was  deep,  and  the  French  heavens  over- 
flowed with  moisture;  under  such  conditions,  men  are  apt  to  curse 
and  swear.  A  passer-by  stopped  and  listened  for  indications  of 
discontent;  this  is  what  he  heard,  in  full,  manly  chorus,  with  tenor 
and  bass  parts  well  harmonized: 

"When  you  come  to  the  end  of  a  perfect  day 
And  you  sit  alone  with  your  thought; 

While  the  chimes  ring  out  with  a  carol  gay 
For  the  joy  that  the  day  has  brought." 
What  a  representatively  American  group  the  divisions  of  the 
5th  Corps  were,  as  they  went  into  position  all  around  the  batteries 
of  the  55th.  Maj.  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Kuhn's  79th  Division  consisted 
mainly  of  drafted  men  from  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland;  Maj. 
Gen.  C.  S.  Farnsworth's  37th  Division  were  Buckeye  National 
Guardsmen — Ohioans;  Maj.    Gen.    William    H.    Johnston's   91st 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  159 

Division  were  drafted  men  from  the  states  of  the  Pacific  Northwest; 
and  Maj.  Gen.  W.  G.  Haan's  32d  Division  were  the  same  quiet, 
reliable,  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  men  whom  the  Bostonians  had 
met  a  month  previously  near  the  Vesle,  and  from  whom  we  had 
drawn  so  many  trained  truck-drivers  in  April.  Later,  the  55th  were 
associated  with  Maj.  Gen.  Charles  T.  Menoher's  42d  or  Rainbow 
Division,  Maj.  Gen.  John  A.  Lajeune's  2d  Division  (with  its 
Marine  brigade),  and  Maj.  Gen.  William  M.  Wright's  89th  Divi- 
sion; the  89th  consisted  of  drafted  men  who  had  been  trained  by 
Gen.  Leonard  Wood  and  who  came  from  the  very  states  which 
furnished  the  "Rough  Riders"  of  Spanish  War  fame — Arizona, 
Colorado,  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  South  Dakota.  At  the  last,  the 
veteran  1st  Division  of  Regulars  came  into  the  5th  Corps,  under 
command  of  Brig.  Gen.  Frank  Parker;  Lt.  Col.  Theodore  Roose- 
velt, Jr.,  and  Capt.  Kermit  Roosevelt  were  distinguished  officers  in 
the  1st.  On  the  right  of  the  5th  Corps,  the  3d  and  5th  Regular 
Army  Divisions  (the  former  commanded  by  Brig.  Gen.  Preston 
Brown,  and  the  latter  by  Maj.  Gen.  Hanson  E.  Ely)  of  the  3d  Corps 
received  artillery  support  from  the  55th  Regiment. 

While  the  roads  were  congested  by  the  passing  of  the  divisions, 
they  were  rendered  even  more  crowded  by  the  coming  of  four 
hundred  and  fifty  tanks;  these  were  mostly  of  the  whippet  or 
"baby"  variety;  and  as  they  awkwardly  rolled  amongst  the 
trucks  and  marching  men,  they  did  much  to  increase  the  difficulty 
of  travel  in  the  Foret  de  Hesse.  During  the  battle,  the  55th  came 
in  more  or  less  direct  contact  with  every  one  of  Pershing's  twenty- 
one  divisions. 

As  the  55th  Artillery  Brigade  were  with  the  32d  Division,  their 
arrival  afforded  the  55th  Regiment  a  long-desired  opportunity  of 
clearing  up  post-office  difficulties.  These  two  organizations  came 
from  widely  diverse  sources,  the  brigade  having  originated  in 
Tennessee  and  North  Carolina,  but  their  identity  of  number  led 
to  constant  association  and  confusion  in  the  minds  of  the  postal 
authorities;  it  was  a  rehef  to  both  parties  when  they  met  and 
straightened  out  the  tangles.  The  presence  of  the  32d  Division 
brought  about  a  highly  unusual  instance  of  personal  adjustment 
and  relief.  In  connection  with  the  artillery  training-school  of 
April  and  May,  a  corporal  of  Bat.  F,  55th,  had  been  transferred 
to  Bat.  F  of  the  119th  F.  Arty.,  while  a  corporal  of  the  latter  organi- 
zation had  replaced  him  in  the  55th,  both  transfers  having  taken 


160  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

place  regardless  of  the  transferees'  wishes;  now,  chancing  to  meet 
in  the  forest,  the  two  corporals  decided  to  re-exchange,  and  each 
to  return  to  his  original  battery.  It  was  customarily  the  privilege 
of  commanding  officers  to  transfer  enlisted  men,  a  privilege  jealously 
guarded;  as,  however,  this  transaction  was  not  discovered  until 
some  time  later,  and  as  there  seemed  to  be  substantial  ground  for 
permitting  the  restoration  of  men  to  their  original  organizations, 
the  two  corporals  "got  away  with  their  stunt." 

French  artillery  had  occupied  the  Bois  de  Chattancourt  since 
the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  had  developed  some  fairly  commo- 
dious dug-outs;  and  the  55th  felt  that  they  rightly  inherited  a  share 
of  the  accommodations.  The  commander  of  corps  artillery  in  the 
5th  Corps  was,  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle,  a  French  officer  named 
Gen.  Alexandre.  When  Capt.  Kircher,  then  commanding  the  2d 
Batl.,  undertook  to  occupy  a  part  of  a  French  structure  as  post  of 
command,  he  came  in  conffict  with  a  representative  of  the  General, 
and  aroused  a  flow  of  vigorous  language  from  the  Frenchman;  pre- 
tending, in  self-defense,  that  he  did  not  understand  French,  he 
actually  marveled  at  the  Frenchman's  fluency  and  earnestness, 
and  was  able  fully  to  appreciate  the  "aside"  of  another  French 
officer  on  a  similar  occasion,  to  the  effect  that  "all  had  better  put 
on  their  gas-masks." 

Yielding  his  claim  to  this  post  of  command,  Capt.  Kircher 
next  investigated  a  palatial  dug-out;  and  hesitated  about  tak- 
ing possession  because  of  the  probability  that  he  would 
later  be  "ranked  out"  of  it  by  some  general.  Sure  enough — along 
came  Gen.  Pershing  presently,  and  made  his  Headquarters  there. 
By  and  by,  however,  the  battalion  became  comfortably  settled 
in  the  former  dug-out  of  a  French  field  battery.  Gen.  Alexandre 
was  not  pleased  with  the  55th's  gun-positions  and  did  not  hesitate 
forcibly  to  express  his  disapprobation — they  were  too  far  forward — 
it  was  a  "sin";  it  was  clear,  however,  that  the  doughty  General 
was  not  equally  conscientious  about  the  sin  of  profanity.  The  fact 
was,  the  55th  held  positions  which  he  himself  would  have  liked  to 
occupy. 

Great  care  was  used  to  instal  the  telephone  system  in  duplicate  or 
triplicate,  with  at  least  one  of  the  "centrals"  in  a  safe  dug-out;  the 
same  rule  applied  to  wireless  installations — and  the  event  proved 
the  wisdom  of  the  caution,  when  one  of  the  antennae  sets  of  the 
2d  Batl.  was  shot  away  on  the  night  of  the  26th. 


Enemy  Planes 


m-S:-*-'^-  •^. 


Near  P.  C  .sevier,  Entrance  to  Rest-Camp 


M-j^  :  ^ 


x^.  -^-^  ' 


W^-:  ^ 


H: 


^M- 


p.  C.  Sevier,  in  the  Bois  de  Recicourt 


Regimental  Telephone  Central  in  the  Bois  de  Recicourt 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  161 

Bat.  C  had  for  the  battery  commander's  dug-out  a  tunnel,  run- 
ning straight  into  the  hill-side,  and  roofed  with  elephant-iron;  as 
one  looked  in  thru  the  entrance,  past  the  first  sergeant's  table, 
and  noted  the  stores  heaped  on  the  floor  and  the  cots  and  the 
chart  table  at  the  extreme  rear,  all  showing  dimly  in  the  candle- 
light,  one   was   reminded   of  Ali   Baba's   treasure-cave. 

As  the  result  of  broken  rest,  irregular  meals  and  bad  water,  the 
officers  of  one  battalion  all  came  down  with  diarrhea  shortly  after 
arriving  in  the  Bois  de  Chattancourt;  coffee  could  not  be  used, 
as  it  interfered  with  what  little  sleep  was  otherwise  possible;  so 
the  major  sent  to  Bar-le-Duc  for  a  keg  of  beer  (30  francs  for  the 
beer  and  45  francs  for  the  keg),  and  began  to  cure  the  sick.  Soon 
the  battalion  post  of  command,  now  transformed  into  a  dispensary, 
became  a  popular  loitering  place  for  passing  officers.  One  battery 
phoned  that  they  had  five  sick  officers,  and  were  told  to  ''send 
along";  but  when  the  orderly  brought  six  canteens,  he  roused  the 
Adjutant  to  protest. 

*'I  thought  he  said  there  were  only  five  patients  over  there." 

"Yes,  sir;  but  he  told  me  that,  if  I  would  get  it,  I  could  be  sick 
too." 

Abandoned  artillery  horses  were  numerous  in  the  woods,  and 
wrought  some  mischief  by  tripping  over  telephone  wires  and  thus 
breaking  communications.  Usually  the  unfortunates  were  at  the 
point  of  death  and  required  only  to  be  led  to  some  deep  shell-hole, 
where  their  approaching  decease  would  occasion  the  least  labor 
for  the  burial  squad.  Sometimes  it  seemed  as  if  rest  and  good  food 
might  effect  a  cure.  A  lieutenant  in  Bat.  F  presently  began  to 
appear  on  horseback,  and  aroused  so  much  envy  as  he  rode  up  and 
down  the  column  of  trucks  that  he  gained  the  title  of  "Galloping." 
Then  the  Ordnance  Officer  became  mounted.  A  lieutenant  in 
Bat.  C  coveted  similar  prominence  and,  taking  possession  of  an 
equine  derelict,  began  to  indulge  in  dreams  of  becoming  a  "man  on 
horseback."  But  this  last  steed  failed  to  respond  to  treatment, 
and  grew  so  emaciated  that  he  was  evidently  approaching  his  end; 
Bat.  C  drove  him  away  in  order  that  they  would  not  have  the 
task  of  burying  him;  and  the  last  they  saw  of  him,  he  was  dragging 
himself  helplessly  toward  the  territory  of  Bat.  F.  The  next  morning 
he  lay  dead — on  Bat.  C's  side  of  the  road;  and  indications  were 
clear  that  he  had  been  helped  back  from  the  other  battery's  pur- 
lieus. After  a  spirited  altercation,  it  was  agreed  as  a  peacemaking 
11 


162  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

compromise,  that  each  battery  should  furnish  half  of  the  burial 
squad.  (The  equestrians  were,  by  name,  Warshaw,  Herbert  and 
Munson.)  As  we  were  not  entitled  to  ''draw"  forage  for  horses, 
we  were  put  to  it  to  feed  the  animals;  in  at  least  one  battery  a 
regular  detail  of  men  were  assigned  the  duty  of  watching  neigh- 
boring field  artillery  regiments  and  "borrowing"  feed  from  them. 
On  another  occasion  a  burial  party  were  preparing  to  inter  a 
dead  mule  (a  rare  event,  as  mules  seemed  to  bear  charmed  lives), 
when  out  ran  a  French  soldier  and  helped  himself  to  a  large  steak 
of  mule-meat;  presently  another  poilu  came  forth  from  the  thicket, 
evidently  having  heard  of  the  treasure-trove,  but  was  too  late — 
he  found  only  a  filled  grave.  The  burial  party  were  disappear- 
ing down  the  road,  and  yet  were  near  enough  to  hear  this,  ''Who 
buried  that  mule?"  For  a  long  time  afterwards  members  of  the 
battery  were  fond  of  inquiring,  ''Who  buried  that  mule?"  and 
responding  to  their  own  query  with  the  name  of  the  sergeant,  who 
had  charge  of  the  squad. 

With  the  woods  crowded  as  they  were,  it  was  impossible  to  ob- 
serve all  of  the  usual  safety  precautions;  kitchens  could  not  be 
thoroly  hidden,  ammunition  could  not  be  stored  in  small  lots,  at  a 
distance  from  the  guns  and,  above  all,  the  infantry  could  not  be 
stopped  from  crowding  around  the  artillery  with  tents  and  draft 
animals.  Their  presence  was  apt  to  attract  the  attention  of  aerial 
observers  and  to  endanger  the  lives  of  the  55th ;  but  there  was  no- 
where else  for  them  to  go.  One  thing,  however,  the  artillery  could 
prevent — namely,  the  setting  up  of  an  infantry  rolling-kitchen 
right  in  front  of  a  155  gun;  the  infantry  cook  thought  otherwise 
and  was  well  along  with  the  preparation  of  dinner;  but  when  the 
(Bat.  D)  gun  was  fired,  and  the  blast  sucked  the  slum  bodily 
out  of  the  kettle  and  strewed  it  over  the  surface  of  the  earth,  that 
particular  infraction  of  camouflage  discipline  ended. 

But  the  author  is  anticipating — during  the  first  five  days  no 
shots  were  fired;  the  American  artillery  lay  hid.  The  men  could  not 
restrain  expressions  of  amazement  over  the  vastness  of  the  military 
power  assembling  round  about  them.  As  countless  men  and  guns, 
and  endless  munitions  and  supplies  moved  into  place,  the  55th 
began  to  appreciate  the  expression,  "the  might  of  a  great  nation." 
They  knew  what  stood  behind  this  demonstration  of  military  power; 
they  understood  the  effort  and  sacrifice  of  the  people  back  home. 
To  them,  the  child  who  went  without  candy  in  order  to  save  sugar, 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  163 

the  housewife  who  exhausted  her  ingenuity  preparing  savory  dishes 
without  the  usual  ingredients  so  as  to  conserve  food,  the  farmer 
who  toiled  from  dawn  to  dark  in  the  furrow  that  the  world  might 
be  fed,  the  factory-operative  who  uncomplainingly  labored  long 
hours  overtime  to  help  win  the  war,  the  good  fellow  who  willingly 
consented  to  be  denied  his  liquor  that  the  world  might  be  made 
safe  for  democracy,  the  churchman  who  overcame  long-standing 
prejudice  and  crossed  ancient  barriers  of  separation,  worshiping  and 
federating  with  neighbors  of  different  faith,  in  order  to  conserve 
fuel  and  consoUdate  power,  the  banker  who,  unmindful  of  banker's 
hours  and  commissions,  labored  feverishly  and  successfully  to 
market  Uncle  Sam's  securities,  the  millionaire  steel  magnate 
who  forwent  an  opportunity  of  doubling  his  already  enormous 
fortune  in  order  that  America's  ships  might  be  built  in  season — each 
was  a  soldier  no  less  truly  than  were  they  who  wore  the  khaki.  The 
long  arm  of  our  embattled  country  was  stretched  out  to  claim 
each  in  service.  The  men  in  the  Bois  de  Chattancourt  recognized 
themselves  as  merely  the  "thin  edge"  of  an  inconceivably  mighty 
wedge. 

Since  Col.  Sevier  commanded  the  larger  "sub-grouping,"  the 
regiment  went  into  battle  under  tactical  direction  of  Lt.  Col. 
Dusenbury.  Capt.  Bryan  was  Adjutant.  The  three  battalion 
commanders  were  Majors  James  E.  Nestor,  Cary  R.  Wilson  and 
Marshall  S.  Holbrook;  the  batteries  were  commanded  by  (Head- 
quarters Co.)  Capt.  W.  L.  Smith;  (A)  Earl  R.  Reynolds;  (B) 
Richard  M.  Kimball;  (C)  Carl  W.  Bettcher;  (D)  George  W. 
Hirsch;  (E)  Forest  C.  Shaffer;  (F)  Chester  E.  Dodge;  (Supply  Co.) 
John  A.  Stitt.  Ammunition  was  accumulated  to  the  amount  of 
1,200  rounds  per  gun. 

Almost  at  the  last  moment,  a  heavy  rain  ruined  the  telephone 
service,  and  demonstrated  past  questioning  that  the  wire  was 
defective;  and  an  entirely  new  line,  of  heavier  texture,  was  strung. 

At  8  p.  M.  on  Sept.  25,  the  Commanding  Officer  assembled  his 
"group"  commanders  and  published  the  firing-order.  This 
highly  technical  paper  would  hardly  be  of  general  interest;  the 
section  covering  the  intense  outburst  between  2.30  and  2.45  a.  m. 
may  be  given  as  a  specimen : 

"From  H-3  hrs.  to  H-2:45  hrs. 
Guns  available 
Sub-Groupment  Dusenbury         24  G.  P.  F. 


164 


The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 


Sub-Groupment  Albaret 

Use 

Sub-Groupment  Albaret 

'  *  ' '  Dusenbury 

^'  '^  Dusenbury 


Dusenbury 


(  10  G.  P.  F. 
\    6  240 

j  Montfaucon 
\  Cierges 

Montfaucon  and 

Cantonments  on 

the  north 

Bois  de  Beuge 


Telephone  Central 
x-309.950 
y-275.340 
Gesnes 

(1st 


Albaret 


From  H-3  to  H 


Bois  Communal 
de  Cierges 
Bois  d'Emont 
Ivoiry 
Epinonville 
900  rounds." 


4  Guns 
2  Guns 

2  Guns 
(1st  Batl.) 

8  Guns 
(2d  Batl.) 

4  Guns 
(1st  Batl.) 

4  Guns 

and  3d  Batls. 

— 2  each) 

4  Guns 

(3d  Batl.) 

10  Guns 


Everyone,  who  heard  the  order,  held  his  breath  in  surprize  at 
the  news  that  M^zi^res  and  its  railroad  were  the  object  of  the 
drive.  The  general  instructions  given  were,  first  of  all,  that  the 
regimental  ammunition  supply  would  be  kept  up  by  the  regimental 
ammunition  train,  to  which  each  battalion  had  already  contributed 
twenty  of  its  best  trucks.  Everybody  was  warned  to  use  the 
latest  code-book  for  wireless  work;  and  the  system  of  aeroplane 
signals  to  be  used  for  counter-battery  work  was  gone  into.  The 
particular  task  of  the  55th  was  counter-battery  work  (silencing 
and  destroying  the  enemy  artillery),  combined  with  harassing  and 
interdiction  fire  on  the  enemy's  lines  of  communication,  together 
with  an  intense  bombardment  of  Montfaucon,  Epinonville,  Cierges, 
and  neighboring  spots.  Orders  were  given  to  be  ready  to  move 
the  guns  forward  to  Montfaucon  or  Very  at  short  notice,  in  order 
to  support  further  infantry  advance.  The  regimental  field  of  fire 
was  to  extend  from  a  line  thru  Consenvoye  on  the  east  to  the  road 
running  up  from  Varennes  thru  Baulny  and  Fleville  on  the  west. 


Enter  J  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit  the  German 


165 


Prior  to  2.30  only  one  battalion  was  to  fire,  using  mostly  gas 
shells;  after  2.30  a.  m.  high-explosive  shells  were  to  be  used,  and 
all  were  to  participate. 

As  an  immediate  result  of  the  firing-order,  the  battalion  and 


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battery  commanders  had  to  "figure  data,''  doing  more  of  it,  and 
under  greater  pressure,  than  at  any  other  time  in  their  entire  careers. 
They  were  given  only  two  hours  in  which  to  make  final  prepara- 
tions.   Bat.  F  kept  up  lightning  calculations  all  the  next  day,  as 


166  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

their  function  was  to  respond  to  signals  from  aviators  and  fire  on 
points  where  help  was  needed.  All  finished  on  time,  and  at  "H-6 
hrs.''  the  2d  Batl.  opened  fire,  with  the  others  joining  in  at  ''H-3,'' 
or  2.30  A.  M. 

The  author  was  probably  the  only  officer  at  p.  c.  Sevier  who  went 
to  bed  above  ground  on  the  night  of  Sept.  25;  with  him  it  was  a 
question  of  relative  timidity — he  feared  the  cooties  more  than  he 
did  the  possible  shells,  and  took  his  chances  outside  the  dug-outs 
with  the  lesser  of  the  evils.  A  few  enemy  shells  came  over  during 
the  evening;  and  when,  about  11  p.  m.,  the  concussion  from  one 
jarred  some  dead  wood  off  a  tall  tree  above  the  shack  where  he  was 
sleeping,  and  brought  the  fragment  down  upon  the  tin  roof,  the 
sleeper  awoke,  arose  and  made  a  lightning-like  dive  for  the  nearest 
subterranean  chamber.  The  alarm  proved  false.  He  was  again 
in  bed  and  on  the  point  of  resuming  his  slumbers,  when  he  was 
startled  by  the  sound  of  guns  near  at  hand,  guns  which  had  not 
until  then  been  fired — it  was  11.30  p.  m.,  and  the  2d  Batl.  of  the 
55th  were  beginning  their  preliminary  bombardment.  Growing 
accustomed  to  the  new  sound,  he  had  again  dozed  off  and  was 
dreaming  about  "home  and  far  away,"  when,  at  an  instant,  the 
forest  seemed  to  explode.  It  was  2.30  a.  m.  on  Sept.  26;  the  3,928 
American  and  French  guns  all  fired  simultaneously,  and  each  as 
rapidly  as  possible — "der  Tag"  had  indeed  come  for  the  German. 
So  carefully  had  the  batteries  been  camouflaged  that  no  one,  aside 
from  the  highest  officers,  knew  where  they  all  were.  One  made  its 
appearance  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  author's  shack — the  first 
intimation  he  had  of  its  presence.  The  horizon  blazed  as  with  the 
combined  flashes  of  all  the  lightning  by  which  men  had  ever  been 
terrified;  the  earth  rocked,  quaked,  trembled;  the  heaven  was 
filled  with  whirring,  shrieking,  roaring  monsters,  carrying  hell's 
destruction  toward  the  enemy  lines;  and  yonder,  answering 
flashes  indicated  where  the  projectiles  were  exploding — the  shells 
were  finding  their  targets.  The  tremendous  fusillade  lasted  only 
fifteen  minutes;  the  rate  then  slowed  down.  Five-thirty  a.  m.  was 
the  "Zero  hour,"  when  the  infantry  "went  over";  and  at  that  time 
much  of  the  field  artillery  ceased  firing,  lest  they  should  injure 
their  own  comrades.  But  the  heavy  guns  continued  in  action 
until  noon.  Three  hundred  thirteen  thousand  rounds  of  ammuni- 
tion were  fired  by  Pershing's  artillery  during  the  night  and  morn- 
ing; it  is  probably  reasonable  to  estimate  the  expenditure  of  money 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  167 

at  $10,000,000 — many  a  ''thrift  stamp*'  was  burned;  but  the 
investment  was  profitable  for  America,  as  it  made  possible  the 
ending  of  the  war.  The  mightiest  artillery-preparation  in  all 
history  did  not  take  place  in  vain. 

When,  along  in  the  afternoon,  the  79th  Division  experienced 
difficulty  at  Montfaucon,  the  55th  resumed  fire,  and  in  one  and 
one-half  hours  pounded  the  town  to  ruins.  Two  thousand  six 
hundred  eighty-six  rounds  were  fired  by  the  55th  and  3,000  by 
the  French  batteries  during  the  day. 

Wonderful  enthusiasm  prevailed  at  the  guns;  as  one  officer 
expressed  it,  the  gunners  "kissed  each  projectile";  and  when 
they  fired,  they  "cried  peace."  Bat.  E  was  emplaced  on  ground 
especially  full  of  old  shell-holes.  One  gun  experienced  difficulty 
getting  into  position — it  uprooted  "about  five  trees" — and  when 
it  began  to  fire,  it  was  driven,  by  the  recoil,  down  into  the  soft  soil 
until  it  became  badly  mired  and  was  compelled  to  cease  from 
action.  Further  difficulties  attended  its  removal  from  position  on 
the  next  day;  for  one  of  the  front  wheels  stuck  in  a  shell-hole — 
altogether  eighteen  hours  of  hard  work  was  required  to  get  the 
gun  out  to  the  road.  The  only  tragedy  occurred  at  Bat.  A's  posi- 
tion; a  projectile  from  the  "Amy"  accidentally  struck  the  top  of  a 
tree  above  the  emplacement  of  the  "AlHe"  and  exploded.  The 
"Amy"  had  just  been  laid  so  as  to  fire  at  a  new  target,  and  no  one 
noticed  the  intervening  tree-top;  the  tree  was  promptly  cut  down 
so  as  to  permit  the  continuance  of  firing.  Unfortunately,  however, 
fragments  of  the  exploding  projectile  wounded  eight  men  of  the 
55th,  together  with  four  of  the  147th  F.  Arty.,  who  happened  to  be 
passing  at  the  moment;  and  one  of  the  wounded,  Pvt.  Samuel 
J.  Shuman,  was  so  seriously  injured  that  he  died  next  day.  Sgt. 
Johns,  another  of  the  wounded,  pluckily  refused  to  be  "evacuated," 
and  remained  on  duty.  These  were  the  only  regimental  casualties 
at  the  Bois  de  Chattancourt  on  the  opening  day  of  the  battle — a 
fortunate  fact,  as  only  a  single  Ford  ambulance  was  available  to 
transport  the  wounded,  and  that  was  fully  occupied  with  infantry- 
men. Bat.  B  had  been  paid  just  before  the  battle;  and  the  perils 
all  about  them  induced  serious  thought  as  to  what  would  become 
of  a  man's  money  in  the  event  of  accident  to  him.  When  the  Chap- 
lain went  to  look  after  the  men's  welfare  on  the  battle-field,  he  was 
requested  by  man  after  man  to  serve  as  banker,  and  see  that  the 
wealth  was  safely  remitted  to  the  home-folk;  and  he  returned  to 


168  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

quarters  with  his  pockets  bulging,  and  spent  the  entire  evening 
writing  drafts — for  over  8,000  francs.  Battery  cooks  felt  their 
responsibilites,  and  prepared  such  a  breakfast  for  the  weary  gunners 
as  the  latter  never  dreamed  of — beefsteak  smothered  in  onions, 
French-fried  potatoes,  cocoa,  coffee  and  toast;  when  Col.  Sevier 
made  a  morning  visit  to  the  batteries,  he  was  invited  to  four  suc- 
cessive breakfasts;  and  the  latter  were,  as  he  expressed  it,  *'each 
better  than  the  others. '^  No  one  paid  attention  to  possible  answer- 
ing fire  from  the  enemy,  after  our  own  work  began;  but  it  was  the 
general  opinion  that  very  little  response  was  possible,  in  the  face  of 
such  a  tornado  of  destruction  as  the  Americans  sent  over. 

The  55th  subsequently  received  reports  from  the  Artillery  In- 
formation Service  of  the  5th  Army  Corps,  1st  American  Army, 
showing  how  effective  and  destructive  the  fire  had  been — informa- 
tion supplied  by  German  prisoners.  These  reports  refer  to  our 
shooting  at  a  little  later  date;  but  results  were  the  same  thruout 
the  entire  battle. 

''November  4th.  15th  Bavarian  Division — Captured  artillery- 
men of  this  Division  state  that  in  recent  days  the  American  artillery, 
shelling  far  to  the  rear  areas,  had  interfered  with  the  supply  of 
munitions  to  such  an  extent  that  the  batteries  were  almost  without 
ammunition. 

"Prisoners  state  that  our  fire  on  Nov.  2nd  in  preparation  for  the 
attack  was  extremely  accurate  and  effective. 

"November  5th.  Prisoners  continue  to  praise  our  artillery  fire. 
A  prisoner  belonging  to  the  136th  Foot  Artillery  Battahon  states 
that  on  November  1st  the  entire  personnel  of  his  battery  left  the 
position  for  the  rear  because  of  the  effectiveness  of  our  fire.  On  the 
2nd  they  were  ordered  to  return,  but  this  prisoner  was  captured 
before  he  reached  the  guns. 

"Prisoners  of  many  field  artillery  units  captured  since  October 
31st,  report  that  the  American  Artillery  has  caused  heavy  losses 
in  their  units,  and  they  are  unanimous  in  praising  our  artillery's 
accuracy.  Prisoners  of  the  104th  Field  Artillery  Regiment  state 
that  on  October  17th  alone  their  regiment  lost  150  men  from  shell 
fire  on  battery  emplacements,  and  they  are  not  informed  as  to 
additional  losses  in  the  regimental  trains  to  the  rear.  Early  Novem- 
ber 1st,  their  battery  emplacements  were  shelled  so  effectively  that 
all  communication  with  the  rear  and  with  the  Infantry  was  quickly 
cut  off,  and  the  batteries  were  practically  put  out  of  action.    In 


Barbed-Wire  Entanglements  in  No  Man's  Land 


A  German   lKr.;>v.n 
ARTILLERY  TARGETS 


A   Rkvival  of  Antiquity — Gehmans  with  Helmets  and  Breastplates 


The  Evening  oy  "Der  Tag" — Germans 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  169 

the  7th  Bavarian  Field  Artillery  Regiment,  the  7th  Battery  alone 
lost  15  men  between  October  26th  and  November  1st,  reducing 
the  effectives  with  the  battery  to  30-35  men.  On  October  31st 
the  9th  Battery  of  the  10th  Field  Artillery  Regiment  lost  9  men. 
Similar  figures  are  reported  from  large  numbers  of  batteries. 

''Many  of  the  prisoners  captured  on  the  1st  state  that  the  reason 
they  were  taken  is  that  our  artillery  concentrations  were  so  effective 
that  they  were  confined  to  their  shelters  and  isolated  in  small 
groups.  Artillery  prisoners  state  that  they  were  unable  to  serve 
their  guns.  In  several  instances,  batteries  were  unable  to  fire  a 
shot.  There  were  cases  of  officers  who  were  entirely  cut  off  from 
communication  with  their  troops." 

An  eye  witness  at  Montfaucon  on  Sept.  26  told  us  that  ^'when 
those  six-inch  shells  came  whistling  into  town,  the  dirt,  the  con- 
crete, the  machine-guns  and  the  Germans  all  flew  up  in  the  air 
together.'^ 

If  the  author  may  return  to  his  foot-ball  illustration,  it  is  correct 
to  say  that,  by  5.30  a.  m.,  ''an  opening"  had  been  made  in  the  enemy 
line — a  thoro  one;  barbed  wire  was  shot  to  pieces,  infantry  was 
demoralized  or  destroyed,  and  the  German  artillery  was  out  of 
action.  When  the  infantry  of  the  5th  Corps  advanced  "over  the 
top,"  they  encountered  little  opposition;  they  passed  the  im- 
pregnable defenses  of  the  Hindenburg  line  without  a  halt,  and 
scarcely  realized  that  such  a  line  existed;  they  pressed  on  thru  the 
Hagen  Stellung  without  serious  resistance;  and  they  were  not 
stopped  until  they  stood  before  the  Volker  Stellung  at  Eclisfon- 
taine,  Epinonville,  Ivoiry  and  Montfaucon.  A  time-table  had 
been  laid  out  for  the  infantry;  and  they  were  able  to  keep  to  it  so 
closely  that  Col.  Dusenbury  exclaimed,  "They  advanced  as  tho 
they  had  been  sent  for."  The  rolling-barrage  which  preceded 
them  afforded  "interference,"  and  made  possible  this  glorious 
progress.  The  Volker  Stellung  did  not  break  without  strenuous 
resistance,  and  its  capture  cost  many  precious  lives;  by  Sept.  30, 
it  too  was  in  American  hands,  and  the  front  line  was  well  to  the 
north  of  it.  When  one  stopped  to  realize  that  the  divisions  of  the 
5th  Corps  were  as  unaccustomed  to  battle  as  were  the  troops 
who  fought  at  Bull  Run,  the  contrast  in  results  was  amazing; 
instead  of  the  untried  Americans  growing  nervous  and  running 
away,  it  was  the  German  veterans  who  illustrated  the  meaning 
of  partir.    This  fact  was  creditable  to  the  new  American  Army — 


170  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

it  was  largely  due  to  the  work  of  the  American  artillery.  Infantry 
advancing  against  a  German  line  without  adequate  preparatory 
bombardment  (as  did  the  2d  Corps  on  Sept.  29  between  Cambrai 
and  St.  Quentin)  could  register  gains  only  by  a  terrible  expenditure 
of  human  life;  infantry  whose  advance  had  been  prepared  by  the 
American  Army  Artillery  attacked,  occupied  and  passed  the  same 
Hindenburg  line  without  serious  loss  and  almost  without  hindrance. 
It  was  the  entrance  of  the  Army  Artillery  which  occasioned  the 
speedy  exit  of  the  German. 

Every  possible  American  aeroplane,  together  with  a  host  of 
French  planes,  had  assisted  in  the  attack;  and  for  the  first  time, 
during  the  morning  of  Sept.  26,  the  Americans  held  supremacy  of 
the  air.  By  afternoon  the  aerial  warriors  had  gone  back  to  refit, 
and  had  left  the  way  open  for  enemy  planes  to  attack;  one  venture- 
some Fokker  came  southward,  invisible  because  above  the  clouds, 
then  swooped  down  upon  an  American  observation  balloon  right 
over  the  guns  of  the  55th,  set  the  "sausage"  on  fire,  darted  to  a 
second  balloon  and  burned  that,  and  destroyed  a  third,  before 
he  himself  was  brought  headlong  to  the  ground.  Most  of  the 
endangered  aeronauts  descended  safely,  by  means  of  parachutes; 
but  in  one  instance  the  burning  gas-bag  fell  on  top  of  the  parachute 
and  set  that  afire,  and  caused  the  poor  man  to  pay  forfeit  with  his 
life.  It  may  be  in  order  to  anticipate,  with  the  statement  that 
German  aviators  repeated  this  kind  of  a  destructive  blow  against 
the  5th  Corps  on  Oct.  23  and  Oct.  28.  But  there  was  one  occasion 
when  their  stroke  recoiled  against  themselves.  On  Oct.  3,  nine 
enemy  planes  raided  the  55th's  guns  at  Montfaucon,  flying  so  low 
as  barely  to  escape  the  tree-tops,  and  firing  their  machine-guns;  by 
that  time  we  had  machine-guns  of  our  own,  and  the  55th  and 
neighboring  anti-aircraft  companies  made  sure  that  seven  of  the 
nine  foemen  should  never  again  see  their  fathers  ''in  the  fatherland." 
One  of  the  raiders  actually  continued  using  his  machine-gun  after  he 
was  down  on  the  ground,  and  stopped  only  when  a  hard  American 
fist  came  in  contact  with  his  jaw. 

By  Sept.  27  the  enemy  were  retreating  to  the  extreme  range  of 
the  155  guns;  so  it  became  necessary  for  the  55th  to  move  in  pur- 
suit. Leaving  the  2d  Batl.  to  occupy  the  old  position  a  few  days 
longer,  the  1st  and  3d  Battalions  started  along  the  road  toward 
Esnes  and  Montfaucon;  the  French  guns  now  separated  from  the 
Aire  grouping.    As  the  entire  country  near  the  lines  had  become 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exitj  the  German  171 

pitted  with  shell-holes,  it  is  no  wonder  that  heavy  artillery  found 
the  highways  obstructed;  beginning  a  mile  behind  the  trenches, 
"the  finest  roads  in  the  world"  had  been  reduced  to  a  series  of 
holes,  ruts,  ridges  and  general  unevenness,  and  in  the  zone  which 
during  four  years  had  been  "no  man's  land"  the  ways  were  so 
obliterated  that  one  could  not  determine  their  location.  Whether 
or  not  because  of  the  detonation  of  so  much  high  explosive,  the 
brilliant  sunshine  of  Sept.  26  had  lapsed  into  a  drizzling,  soaking 
rain,  which  transformed  the  French  soil  into  slippery  mud.  The 
battalions  set  forth  (the  3d  leading)  with  the  greatest  possible 
speed;  but  at  Esnes  they  were  compelled  to  halt,  because  the  road 
had  disappeared.  There  they  sat  during  thirty-six  long  hours, 
waiting  while  the  engineers  surveyed  a  new  highway  and  built 
the  same;  ruined  buildings  were  torn  down,  and  every  available 
stone  was  transported,  by  hand  or  on  passing  vehicles  in  a  feverish 
effort  to  fill  up  the  holes.  At  length  the  word  was  given  to  proceed; 
and  the  guns  of  the  55th  were  the  first  heavy  ordnance  to  pass 
"no  man's  land";  indeed  they  served  as  crude  road-rollers  and 
helped  to  smooth  out  the  unevenness.  On  they  went,  thru  Malan- 
court,  and  found  it  merely  a  cross-roads  and  signboard.  There- 
after, as  the  country  lay  well  behind  the  former  German  lines,  the 
roads  were  in  better  condition  and  presented  no  serious  obstacles 
while  the  guns  were  journeying  to  their  new  positions.  They 
halted  a  little  south  of  the  Fayel  farm,  near  Montfaucon;  and 
Batteries  B,  E  and  F  were  emplaced  west  of  the  highway,  while 
Bat.  A  established  itself  on  the  east  side.  They  were  situated  be- 
tween the  Hagen  and  Volker  Stellungs,  and  close  to  the  switch- 
line  connecting  the  two.  Col.  Burgess,  who  served  as  assistant  to 
Gen.  Davis  during  the  earlier  weeks  of  the  battle  and  who  was 
supervising  the  movement  of  guns,  ordered  a  Bat.  F  tractor  to 
assist  in  moving  some  French  trucks  out  of  the  mud  north  of  Esnes; 
and  as  a  consequence,  landed  the  tractor  itself  deep  in  the  same 
difficulty — an  entire  week  was  needed  to  dig  out  the  helpless 
"elephant."  Meanwhile  the  gun-commander,  Sgt.  Martin,  secured 
assistance  from  all  the  men  in  the  vicinity,  and  later  from  a  spare 
tractor,  which  chanced  to  pass  that  way;  liberated  the  blockading 
French  trucks  by  hand  power;  and  delivered  his  gun,  the  "Strong," 
at  its  proper  position  almost  as  promptly  as  the  other  members 
of  the  battery;  in  response  to  Col.  Burgess'  expression  of  surprize 
at  his  quick  appearance  the  sergeant  explained  that  he  had  ''sal- 


172  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

vaged  a  tractor."  During  this  move,  the  majors  changed  bat- 
talions; and  Maj.  Wilson  became  commander  of  the  1st,  Maj. 
Holbrook  of  the  2d  and  Maj.  Nestor  of  the  3d. 

The  5th  Corps  had  accomplished  their  mission,  and  now  con- 
stituted a  protruding  central  bulge  of  the  army;  they  were  tempora- 
rily exposed  to  fire  from  right,  front  and  left.  No  wonder  that  the 
55th  suffered  their  heaviest  casualties  at  Montfaucon — six  killed 
and  at  least  twenty-seven  wounded.  Maj.  Wilson  had  his  post  of 
command  in  the  most  sheltered  spot  possible — actually  not  a  bit 
sheltered ;  and  inquirers  would  be  directed  toward  it  by  the  phrase, 
*'over  there  where  that  shell  exploded."  Bat.  A  were  out  in  the 
open,  with  no  defilade  whatever;  between  Sept.  28  and  Oct.  5, 
they  lost  Sgt.  Long,  and  Pvts.  Blais  and  Gratz,  besides  several 
wounded;  and  at  the  latter  date  they  decided  to  change  position, 
moving  to  a  sheltered  situation  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Montfaucon 
Hill.  Bat.  B's  trucks  assisted  in  moving  Bat.  A's  ammunition,  and 
had  an  exciting  time  of  it,  with  bombs  and  shells  falling  all  around 
them.  Firing  programs  were  heavy;  and  everyone  worked  up 
to  the  limit  of  his  strength.  Bat.  E  fired  182  shells  in  a  single  hour, 
employing  all  four  guns  thruout  the  first  half  of  the  period  and 
three  during  the  remainder;  the  range  was  very  short — only 
8,500  meters — an  indication  of  how  near  they  were  to  the  enemy. 
It  was  proof  of  splendid  morale,  that  the  regiment  passed  thru  all 
this  hardship  and  exposure  without  either  grumbling  or  straggling; 
an  observer  noted  that  "the  proudest  American  in  France  was 
the  artilleryman  who  walked  ahead  of  the  Holt  tractor,  clad  in 
plain  blue  denim,  to  clear  the  road  for  his  gun."  After  the  first 
day  of  the  battle,  the  enemy  brought  forward  their  very  finest 
divisions,  in  a  desperate  effort  to  stop  the  American  advance ;  they 
used  twenty-one  such  divisional  groups  of  reinforcements,  includ- 
ing the  famous  Prussian  Guards  (as  many  divisions  as  we  had 
altogether,  altho  not  individually  as  strong),  and  thereby  so  re- 
duced their  resisting  power  on  the  British  and  French  sectors  of 
the  front  as  to  permit  great  and  rapid  progress  by  our  Allies;  but 
the  attempt  was  vain. 

Maj.  Darnell,  Regimental  Surgeon  of  the  55th,  called  upon  the 
Chaplain  to  perform  a  sad  duty  on  Sept.  29.  During  the  preceding 
night  a  truck  brought  to  the  regimental  dressing-station  the  remains 
of  an  officer,  who  had  left  the  front  sorely  wounded  but  alive,  and 
who  breathed  his  last  during  the  tedious  and  cold  journey.     He 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  173 

proved  to  be  1st  Lt.  Alfred  L.  Quintard,  of  Co.  A,  315th  Infantry, 
79th  Division,  and  was  a  family  connection  of  Col.  Sevier's.  It 
brought  forcibly  to  the  attention  of  all  the  terrible  cost  of  war, 
when  they  saw  the  shattered  and  mud-bespattered  form  of  this 
scion  of  an  honored  Philadelphia  family  lying  on  the  blood-stained 
litter;  not  even  the  Band  music  nor  the  "three  volleys"  nor  the 
"taps"  could  dispel  the  gloom  which  depressed  men's  spirits. 
Everything  possible  was  done  to  show  respect  for  the  dead;  and 
the  French  commander  of  Camp  du  Gendarme  sympathetically 
undertook  to  prepare  an  artistic  cross  with  which  to  mark  the 
grave. 

Sept.  30  brought  the  cheering  tidings  that  Bulgaria  had  sur- 
rendered. 

On  Oct.  1,  the  Chaplain  secured  a  large  invoice  of  chocolate  for 
the  men;  this  was  one  of  the  rare  occasions  when  a  divisional 
quartermaster  (of  the  32d  Division)  could  be  induced  to  sell  to 
Army  Artillery — the  latter  were  like  homeless  orphans  in  the  eyes 
of  the  divisions,  and  their  requests  were  generally  ignored.  In 
transporting  the  acquisition  from  Dombasle  to  the  front,  the 
Chaplain  "jumped"  a  truck,  belonging  to  Bat.  F,  and  presently 
was  surprized  to  see  the  driver  turn  unhesitatingly  into  a  one-way 
road — going  the  wrong  way.  The  driver  explained  that  he  was 
carrying  gasolene  for  the  tractors,  and  his  errand  was  an  emergency 
one,  and  that  he  possessed  a  pass  signed  with  the  name  of  no 
less  a  personage  than  Gen.  Pershing  himself.  An  M.  P.  actually 
honored  the  pass.  The  privilege  was  a  valuable  one  just  then; 
and  no  questions  were  asked  by  the  Chaplain.  But  he  wondered 
how  Gen.  Pershing  could  find  time  to  expedite  the  local  affairs 
of  a  mere  battery.  Later  on  he  found  out;  the  pass  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"The  bearer  is  authorized  to  pass  over  all  roads  in  any  direction. 
All  persons  are  ordered  to  render  any  assistance  that  may  be 
required. 

"By  command  of  General  Pershing,  per  Warshaw.'' 

Needless  to  say,  Gen.  Pershing  knew  nothing  whatever  about 
the  paper — another  illustration  of  the  adage:  "All's  fair  in  love 
and  war." 

On  Oct.  2,  the  regiment  qualified  for  their  first  service  chevron; 
but  no  one  had  time  to  think  about  ornaments  or  decorations 
while  at  Montfaucon. 


174  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

On  Oct.  3  the  regimental  post-office  had  a  rude  shock,  when  it 
found  itself  transferred  without  reason  or  warning,  from  A.  P.  O. 
No.  754  to  No.  744 — in  other  words  from  the  3d  Corps,  at  Souhesme, 
to  the  28th  Division,  at  Les  Islettes — away  over  in  the  Argonne 
Forest;  from  that  day  postal  affairs  ceased  to  move  smoothly. 
It  was  surmized  that  the  transfer  was  due  to  a  mistake — that 
some  clerk  wrote  744  on  an  information  bulletin  when  he  intended 
to  write  754;  at  all  events,  the  mischief  was  done.  The  regiment 
afterwards  tried  to  have  their  mail  come  by  way  of  the  1st  Army 
at  Souilly,  but  never  with  complete  success. 

French  salvagers,  especially  the  genial  Lt.  Molist  at  Camp  du 
Gendarme,  suggested  that  American  soldiers  were  wasteful  of 
property,  as  evidenced  by  the  clothing  and  supplies  which  were 
left  behind,  when  infantry  regiments  moved  forward — and  the 
Frenchmen  did  their  best  to  retrieve  the  waste  by  clothing  them- 
selves in  discarded  American  shoes  and  socks  and  slickers;  a  little 
later  the  lieutenant  discovered  that  Americans  could  be  aggressively 
frugal  when  they  needed  to,  for  he  caught  a  squad  of  them  in  the 
very  act  of  "  salvaging  ^^  the  stove-pipe  out  of  his  dug-out,  and 
preparing  to  walk  off  with  it. 

Gen.  Pershing  passed  the  batteries  on  Oct.  4  just  as  F  "ground 
out"  a  four-gun  salvo;  the  GeneraFs  car  was  almost  knocked  off 
the  road  by  the  blast.    He  turned  around  with  a  grin. 

Narrow  escapes  were  frequent.  Pvt.  John  D.  Riley  of  Bat.  B 
moved  his  truck  a  few  yards  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  another 
truck  out  of  difficulty;  and  had  scarcely  done  so,  when  a  shell 
exploded  exactly  where  he  had  been  standing.  Another  shell 
fell  and  exploded  within  ten  yards  of  Pvt.  John  A.  Lehan's  (Bat. 
B)  truck.  The  two  men  whom  Col.  Sevier  highly  recommended 
for  distinguished  service  awards  won  their  honors  before  Mont- 
faucon.  While  Sgt.  Damon's  gun,  the  "Allie"  of  Bat.  A,  was  in 
action  on  Oct.  8,  the  No.  1  man  experienced  difficulty  in  closing  the 
breechblock,  after  having  stuffed  in  a  new  projectile  and  powder- 
charge;  on  opening  the  breech  to  adjust  things,  all  noticed  smoke — 
an  indication  that  the  powder-bag  had  begun  to  burn.  Without  a 
moment's  hesitation,  Sgt.  Damon  slammed  the  breech  shut  before 
the  gun  had  time  to  go  off — at  the  imminent  risk  of  his  arm  and 
possibly  of  his  life.  The  sergeant  used  to  say  that  more  courage 
was  required  of  him  on  another  occasion.  It  was  at  night;  while 
the  battery  were  under  heavy  fire,  they  discovered  that  the  light 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  175 

on  their  own  aiming-stake  had  gone  out;  the  lantern  must  be 
relighted  before  any  firing  could  be  done.  When  no  one  else  volun- 
teered to  crawl  out  to  the  shell-swept  hill-side  and  do  the  deed,  the 
sergeant  himself  crept  forth,  and  performed  the  dangerous  mission; 
he  admitted,  however,  that  he  was  devoutly  glad  when  he  had 
safely  returned  to  the  gun-pit.  Two  days  after  Sgt.  Damon's  feat, 
a  German  shell  landed  amid  a  pile  of  powder-charges  in  the  ammuni- 
tion-dump, and  started  a  big  blaze;  the  four  separate  piles  in  the 
dump  ignited  successively.  Lt.  Youngberg  of  Bat.  A  promptly 
leaped  upon  a  Nash-Quad  truck  standing  beside  the  burning  powder 
and  moved  the  vehicle  to  safety,  and  returning,  did  the  same  to  a 
Dodge  car  nearby.  Not  until  afterwards  did  he  notice  that  he 
had  burned  himself  on  a  hot  fuse,  which  was  thrown  up  by  the 
explosion.  It  should  be  explained  that  artillery  powder  does  not 
explode  unless  it  is  confined  within  a  limited  space — it  burns;  and 
for  this  reason  is  described  as  "slow-burning."  Soldiers  actually 
used  small  portions  of  powder  to  help  kindle  the  fire  in  their  cook- 
stoves,  and  nick-named  it  "persuader."  Officers  were  required 
to  write  an  explanation  as  to  how  this  explosion  occurred;  one 
responded:  "For  information  desired  you  are  referred  to  the 
German  battery-commander  that  fired  the  shot."  This  endorse- 
ment went  along  thru  channels  all  the  way  to  Gen.  McGlachlin. 

Owing  to  the  shifting  conditions  of  battle,  by  reason  of  which  the 
5th  Corps'  front  gradually  slipped  westward,  the  55th  Artillery 
found  themselves  rendering  artillery  support  to  divisions  of  the  3d 
Corps  (the  3d  Division,  and  twelve  days  later  the  5th  Division) 
north  of  Montfaucon  after  Sept.  30.  The  2d  Batl.  continued  this 
cooperation  until  Oct.  26.  Maj.  Gen.  John  L.  Hines  succeded 
Maj.  Gen.  Robert  L.  BuUard  in  command  of  the  3d  Corps  one 
Oct.  10. 

It  was  not  until  Oct.  4  that  the  2d  Batl.  received  orders  to  move. 
Their  original  destination  was  the  Bois  de  Chehemin,  northwest  of 
the  Bois  de  Chattancourt;  but  owing  to  the  utter  destruction  of 
roads  in  that  vicinity,  they  halted  and  went  into  position  at  the 
Ravin  de  Lai  Fuon  in  the  Bois  de  Very,  a  mile  south  of  where  they 
intended.  Because  of  shortage  of  trucks,  necessitating  double  trips, 
they  used  up  two  days  in  making  the  move.  The  Ravin  ran  along 
the  Hagen  Stellung,  and  consequently  was  amply  provided  with 
German  dug-outs;  the  battalion  here  enjoyed  more  luxurious 
accommodations  than  anywhere  else  in  their  entire  career.    Head- 


176  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

quarters  was  an  apartment  twenty  feet  under  ground,  which  in. 
German  days  had  boasted  of  electric  lights  (not  now  working) .  The 
positions  were,  of  course,  reversed;  and  the  ''about  face"  was  so 
thoro  that  the  American  guns  stood  behind  the  dug-outs  and  fired 
over  the  roofs.  The  Captain  of  Bat.  C  occupied  quarters  in  front 
of  Bat.  D's  guns.  Inside  he  found  some  mysterious  German  wire 
connected  with  an  innocent-looking  mess-kit,  and,  remembering  the 
warning  against  booby-traps,  kept  his  hands  off  it.  On  Oct.  6, 
however,  curiosity  got  the  better  of  him;  and  he  gently  moved 
the  mess-kit  so  as  to  give  the  wire  a  cautious  twitch.  Instantly 
there  was  a  tremendous  roar;  and  he  jumped  back  a  foot  in  con- 
sternation, convinced  that  he  had  "started  something,"  and 
wondering  in  an  agonized  flash  how  many  victims  he  had  done  to 
death.  The  ''Avenger"  of  Bat.  D,  one  hundred  meters  away,  had 
fired  the  first  shot  in  that  position,  right  over  his  head,  just  as  he 
pulled  the  wire. 

Two  events  occurred  to  cause  sorrow.  Maj.  Holbrook,  who  had 
been  fighting  gallantly  against  tuberculosis  during  the  past  weeks, 
at  length  had  to  give  up;  he  was  relieved  Oct.  6,  and  started  home- 
ward, attended  by  the  respect  and  good  wishes  of  every  man  in  the 
regiment.  Alas !  he  was  destined  never  again  to  see  the  home  which 
he  loved,  as  the  disease  ran  a  rapid  course  and  occasioned  his  death 
on  Nov.  28 — a  sad  Thanksgiving  for  his  friends.  Altho  he  was 
no  nearer  his  Boston  home  than  the  hospital  on  Staten  Island,  he 
did  have  the  comfort  of  his  wife's  loving  presence  with  him  at  the 
last.  Maj.  Walter  B.  Smith  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the 
battalion.  On  Oct.  8  Pvt.  James  F.  Lally  of  Bat.  C  met  his  death. 
A  battery  of  field  artillery  were  bivouacking  in  the  Ravin;  and 
their  fires  attracted  hostile  bombing  planes — the  fires  were  kindled 
in  violation  of  camouflage  discipline  and  were  destined  to  cost  us 
dearly.  Lally,  as  telephone  operator,  was  under  orders  to  remain 
at  his  instrument,  so  as  to  maintain  communication  with  Head- 
quarters; and  at  the  post  of  duty  he  remained,  even  after  the 
approaching  plane  was  heard,  and  everyone  else  had  sought  cover — 
until  the  bomb  killed  him.  How  dangerous  this  position  was 
became  evident  on  the  night  when  the  battalion  were  ordered  to 
leave  it;  Maj.  Smith  found  difficulty  telephoning  to  regimental 
Headquarters,  and  upon  examining  the  line  discovered  that  the 
wire  was  broken  in  thirty-nine  different  places  between  the  Ravin 
and  Montfaucon.    Most  of  the  breaks  were  caused  by  shell-fire; 


Brig.  Gen.  W.  C.  D.wis 


h 


HK  Verriere-en-He88e  Farm  near  p.  C.  Sevier,  September,  1918 


w 


1  ^  *  _  A 


mtf^l 


]  \ 


srrj.9 


Pulling  Horse  out  of  Ditch,  Recicourt  Woods 


Wide  World  Photo 


MONTFAUCON 


1^ 

til 

55th's  p.  C,  Montfaucon 


Signal  Corps  Photo 
Wine-Cbllar  Used  as  P.  C. 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  177 

but  at  one  point  a  field  hospital  had  located  itself,  and  pitched  its 
tents,  directly  on  our  wire. 

While  the  dug-outs  were  commodious,  there  were  still  many- 
discomforts;  for  one  thing,  a  grave  shortage  of  candles  existed, 
so  that  the  post  of  command  could  hardly  see  to  do  the  necessary 
computing;  this  dearth  of  illuminants  extended  to  all  the  batteries 
and  led  to  the  adoption  of  ingenious  substitutes;  in  E  and  other 
units,  the  gunners  aimed  at  night  by  stationing  a  cigaret  smoker 
beside  the  aiming-stake  and  causing  him  to  hold  the  glowing 
end  directly  over  the  post  while  he  placed  his  hand  above  the 
light  as  a  screen.  Ammunition  was  also  lacking  up  to  the  last; 
just  before  the  battalion  were  to  move,  an  abundant  supply  was  de- 
livered— and  all  had  to  be  transported  in  the  already  over-worked 
trucks. 

An  advanced  regimental  post  of  command  was  established  on 
Oct.  4  at  Montfaucon,  directly  on  the  Volker  Stellung;  and  on  the 
twelfth,  the  rear  post  of  command  was  moved  up  from  the  Foret 
de  Hesse  and  consolidated  with  it.  Col.  Sevier  occupied  the 
new  station  until  he  was  compelled,  by  sickness,  to  relinquish 
it  temporarily  to  Col.  Dusenbury.  This  ''p.  c.  Sevier '^  was  at 
the  very  top  of  the  hill,  across  the  street  from  the  ruined  church, 
which  had  long  been  such  a  prominent  landmark,  and  not  many 
meters  distant  from  the  latter.  The  Germans  used  the  church  as 
an  artillery  registration  point,  and  the  post  of  command  got  the 
benefit  of  the  "overs."  It  was  nothing  but  a  small,  concrete, 
vaulted  wine-cellar,  with  a  little  additional  protection  furnished 
by  the  stones  of  a  tottering  wall,  which  the  engineers  had  pulled 
down  and  piled  over  the  roof.  It  was  reached  by  a  narrow  stair- 
way containing  an  inconvenient  turn,  more  useful  for  keeping  out 
flying  fragments  than  promoting  ease  of  access.  As  one  entered, 
there  was  on  the  right  a  large  table  holding  the  firing  maps  and 
telephone,  together  with  a  double-deck  bunk  left  by  the  Germans, 
while  on  the  left  were  the  Colonel's  cot  and  a  small  table,  sufficient 
for  three.  Possibly  eight  or  ten  people  might  be  packed  in.  Here 
the  Commanding  Officer,  the  operations  officer,  and  the  liaison 
officer  spent  nearly  three  weeks,  so  busy  shelling  and  being  shelled 
that  they  slept  only  in  cat-naps.  On  account  of  the  peril,  only 
the  most  indispensable  men  were  allowed  there — three  telephone 
operators,  who  also  acted  as  cooks,  two  radio  men,  and  Master 
Gunner  Alexander.  These  men  slept  in  a  nearby  dug-out;  as, 
12 


178  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

however,  the  latter  was  insecure,  when  shelling  became  severe, 
they  crowded  into  the  post  of  command.  It  was  no  slight  task  to 
cook  between  shells,  on  a  Uttle  hand-built,  mud  bake-oven,  out 
in  the  open — and  near  the  entrance  so  as  to  facilitate  a  hasty  re- 
treat by  the  cook,  if  necessary;  among  Col.  Sevier's  most  cherished 
souvenirs  are  a  coffee-pot  and  other  utensils,  battered  by  a  shell 
explosion.  Montfaucon  was  a  most  '* unhealthy"  site  for  a  post 
of  command,  but  it  was  in  the  very  center  of  things,  near  the  Head- 
quarters of  the  79th  and  3d  Divisions,  and  was  also  one  of  the  best 
observation  points  on  our  whole  front. 

During  quiet  intervals  the  55th  explored  the  hill-top,  and  found 
interesting  things.  There  had  been  situated  the  Headquarters  of 
the  German  Crown  Prince  during  the  battle  of  Verdun  in  1916; 
and  a  forty-foot  periscope  peeped  out  from  the  top  of  a  dwelling, 
and  ran  down  to  a  safe  apartment  in  the  basement,  where  the 
*'hope  of  the  HohenzoUerns "  had  sat  in  security  while  he  watched 
thousands  of  his  " subjects''  move  to  their  death  on  "Le  Mort 
Homme" — in  case  he  should  be  endangered  by  French  shells 
at  Montfaucon,  he  had  dug  an  absolutely  impenetrable  cave  be- 
neath the  building.  American  engineers  removed  this  peri- 
scope and  it  is  now  at  West  Point.  Traces  of  a  pleasant  German 
custom  were  discovered  in  the  cemetery  beside  the  church ;  French 
grave-stones  had  been  planed  off,  so  as  to  remove  the  inscriptions, 
and  German  names  and  dates  engraved  instead  of  the  originals — 
it  was  not  possible  to  learn  whether  the  French  remains  had  been 
evicted,  or  whether  enemy  interlopers  occupied  the  same  graves 
with  the  rightful  owners.  Tomb-floors  had  been  removed  so  as 
to  transform  the  tombs  into  machine-gun  nests,  while  the  bodies 
were  left  inside;  German  gunners  operated  their  guns  while 
standing  on  French  corpses. 

Telephone  line-men  continued  to  experience  adventures  in  the 
Montfaucon  neighborhood.  Pvt.  Paul  C.  Jouannett  of  Hq.  Co. 
and  Pvt.  Victor  A.  Derry  of  Bat.  E  were  both  seriously  wounded — 
the  first  line-men  to  suffer. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  weariness  was  beginning  to  displace  the 
enthusiasm  with  which  the  55th  entered  battle;  a  few  days  of  such 
strain  would  tire  out  the  strongest.  The  79th  Division,  after 
fighting  valiantly,  had  been  relieved,  and  the  37th  were  soon  to 
fare  likewise;  the  artillery  composed  a  refrain,  which  gave  them 
satisfaction. 


Enter,  the  Army  Artillery;  Exit,  the  German  179 

''Divisions  come, 
Divisions  go, 
But  we  go  on  forever." 

The  regiment  were  destined  to  have  no  real  respite  during 
three  entire  months — August  to  November — but  they  kept  hoping 
for  one;  they  seized  eagerly  upon  a  rumor  which  was  just  becoming 
current,  "Someone  said  that  he  over-heard  an  officer  report  to 
Capt.  Stitt,  that  the  31st  Brigade  was  slated  to  go  home  and  put 
the  Boston  coast  defenses  in  good  condition."  Certainly!  What 
could  be  more  probable?  Everyone  understood  that  drafted  men 
were  incapable  of  caring  for  such  intricate  mechanism — we  must  go 
back  and  restore  the  harbor  to  good  condition. 

Possibly  it  was  to  divert  the  men's  thoughts  from  their  fatigue 
and  danger  that  Col.  Sevier  issued  his  complimentary  circular: 

"Headquarters  55th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C,  American  Expeditionary 
Forces. 

"4  October  1918. 
"From:  The  Commanding  General,  The  Aire  Grouping. 
"To:  The  Officers  and  Men  of  the  55th  Artillery. 

"1.  The  Commanding  General  of  the  Aire  Grouping  wishes 
the  Regimental  Commander  to  convey  to  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  55th  Artillery  his  best  wishes  and  congratulations  for  the  day's 
work. 

"2.  The  Regimental  Commander  desires  that  all  officers  and 
men  of  the  1st  and  3d  Battalions  be  assured  that  their  splendid 
work  of  this  date  is  highly  appreciated. 

"3.  The  best  evidence  of  soldierly  qualities  is  discipline  under 
fire. 

"4.  While  our  casualties  cause  profound  regret,  it  is  with  the 
feeling  of  justifiable  pride  that  our  misfortune  befell  our  comrades 
while  gallantly  performing  their  duties. 

"By  order  of  Colonel  Sevier: 

"P.  T.  Bryan,  Jr. 
"Captain,  C.  A.  C.  Adjutant." 

The  immediate  ground  for  this  circular  was  the  fine  firing  done 
by  the  55th,  in  cooperation  with  an  infantry  drive  on  Oct.  4 — the 
drive  which  finally  broke  the  Kriemhilde  Stellung  at  Romagne. 

Rumors  began  to  be  heard  on  Oct.  5  that  Germany  wanted 
peace.  That  day  was  exceptional,  in  that  it  had  twenty-five  hours — 
marking   the   transition  from 


180  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Men  of  the  55th  were  not  unmindful  of  the  issues  at  stake  along 
the  Meuse-Argonne  front;  they  were  learning  the  cost  of  vindicat- 
ing "the  principles  of  peace  and  justice  in  the  life  of  the  world  as 
against  selfish  and  autocratic  power."  While  they  were  doing 
"their  bit"  to  make  the  world  "safe  for  democracy,"  they  felt 
themselves  "compassed  about  with"  a  "great  cloud  of  witnesses," 
the  spirits  of  the  Crusaders  and  the  Revolutionaries,  of  saints  and 
martyrs.  They  were  vaguely  conscious  of  the  vastness  of  the 
struggle,  and  realized  how  their  thronging  armies  comprized  rep- 
resentatives of  every  race;  they  knew  that  ancient  history  was 
reviving  itself — kings  and  rulers  were  personally  present  on  the 
field  of  strife,  men  were  armor-clad,  and  were  hurling  liquid-fire 
at  their  enemies,  entire  nations  were  in  battle  array;  they  began 
to  feel  that  the  whole  world  was  gathered  "together  unto  the  war 
of  the  great  day  of  God,  the  Almighty";  they  stood  "at  Ar-Mage- 
don"  and  they  battled  "for  the  Lord." 

St.  Michael's  Church,  at  Romagne,  contained  a  beautiful  altar 
picture  of  the  warrior-angel  slaying  the  dread  dragon;  and  thru  all 
the  storm  of  shot  and  shell,  the  painting  remained  uninjured, 
even  tho  the  building  was  shot  to  pieces  about  it.  Fitting  it  was 
that  the  battle  should  pause  a  few  hours  by  the  shrine  of  St.  Mi- 
chael; the  slayers  of  the  German  dragon  might  well  refresh  their 
spirits  at  such  a  fane.  On  Pershing's  left,  in  the  umbrageous 
fastness  of  the  Argonne,  a  battalion  was  "lost"  and  found  again, 
and  there  also  Sgt.  Alvin  C.  York  achieved  the  distinction  of  being 
the  war's  greatest  hero;  the  left  flank  was  gradually  advancing, 
coming  up  even  with  the  center,  and  crowding  the  enemy  out  of 
his  lair.  There  was  also  progress  on  the  right,  along  the  Meuse 
River.  At  Romagne,  the  central  bulge  of  the  army,  the  5th  Corps, 
was  squarely  astride  the  Kriemhilde  Stellung;  and  the  enemy's 
strongest  defense  had  begun  to  give  way.  French  sentiment  was 
an  accurate  barometer  of  American  success;  at  the  outset  of  the 
battle,  the  French  officers  predicted  a  war  which  should  last 
another  year — until  the  fall  of  1919;  by  evening  of  the  first  day, 
they  were  more  optimistic,  and  spoke  of  victory  in  the  spring; 
after  two  days  of  American  fighting,  they  indulged  in  prophecies  of 
a  New  Year's  triumph ;  a  day  later  they  were  hoping  for  a  Christmas 
gift  of  peace.  In  point  of  fact  the  exit  of  the  German  had  already 
begun;  and  events  were  framing  themselves  for  a  crushing  Allied 
victory — two  weeks  before  Thanksgiving. 


CHAPTER  IX 

America's  Great  Halloween  Party 

A  REORGANIZATION  of  the  American  forces  took  place 
on  Oct.  10,  by  which  a  new  2d  Army  came  into  existence; 
and  the  latter  assumed  position  on  the  right  of  the  1st 
Army.  Changes  were  made  in  the  assignment  of  command.  Gen. 
Pershing,  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  all  American  troops,  relin- 
quished the  particular  command  of  the  1st  Army  to  Lt.  Gen. 
Hunter  Liggett;  and  Lt.  Gen.  Robert  L.  BuUard  (formerly  of  the 
3d  Corps)  became  commander  of  the  2d  Army.  Maj.  Gen.  Charles 
P.  Summerall  succeeded  Gen.  Cameron  in  command  of  the  5th 
Corps.  Gen.  Summerall,  while  with  the  1st  Division,  had  been 
greatly  interested  in  operations  at  Charpentry  and  Exermont, 
immediately  on  the  left  of  the  5th  Corps  sector;  he  was  now  au- 
thorized to  "side-slip''  the  5th  Corps  sector  a  mile  or  more  to  the 
westward,  so  as  to  include  his  former  divisional  territory  and 
complete  the  task  to  which  he  had  "set  his  hand."  Coincidently 
with  this  readjustment,  the  42d  Division  relieved  the  1st,  and 
became  part  of  the  5th  Corps.  The  32d  Division  had  gone  into 
action  Sept.  30,  and  had  relieved  both  the  37th  and  91st  Divisions. 
The  31st  Heavy  Artillery  Brigade  found  themselves,  as  formerly, 
in  the  center  of  the  5th  Corps;  but  it  was  a  different  corps  from 
that  with  which  they  had  been  associated;  the  32d  Division  on  the 
right  and  the  42d  on  the  left  constituted  the  whole  of  it.  It  will 
clarify  the  subsequent  narrative,  if  we  note  that  the  89th  Division 
was  destined  to  relieve  the  32d  on  Oct.  20,  the  2d  Division  was  to 
perform  a  similar  service  for  the  42d  on  Nov.  1,  and  the  1st  Division 
was  to  follow  up  the  2d  as  reserves.  Solicitude  had  been  felt  lest 
statesmen  should  interfere  and  terminate  the  war  by  means  of  a 
compromize,  and  we  knew  that  the  enemy  were  doing  all  in  their 
power  to  produce  such  a  result;  it  was  with  a  distinct  feeling  of 
relief  that  the  army  heard,  on  Oct.  10,  of  President  Wilson's  utter 
refusal  to  have  any  negotiations  with  the  enemy  and  his  reference 
of  all  questions  pertaining  to  peace  to  Marshal  Foch — everyone 
knew  that  the  Marshal  favored  a  "war  to  a  finish." 

Then  ensued  three  weeks  which   "tried  men's  souls."     Gen. 
Liggett  was  preparing  for  another  great  attack;  and  meanwhile 


182  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

both  infantry  and  artillery  kept  repulsing  counter-attacks  and 
"nibbling  off"  additional  sections  of  enemy  territory,  and  suffering 
extreme  discomfort  from  the  increasing  wetness  and  chill  of  the 
weather.  On  only  three  nights  did  the  ground  actually  freeze;  but 
day  after  day  the  mercury  fell  nearly  to  the  freezing  point;  when 
men  were  tired  and  wet,  they  found  the  nights  spent  without 
shelter,  on  the  cold  ground,  a  severe  draft  upon  their  endurance. 
Bat.  A's  gun,  the  "AUie,"  possessed  unusual  ability  to  ''keep 
itself  in  the  limelight."  On  Aug.  9  it  had  fired  the  first  shot  at  the 
Vesle;  on  Sept.  26  it  had  suffered  from  the  only  accident  which 
attended  the  regiment's  work  in  the  great  artillery  preparation; 
on  Oct.  8  it  had  afforded  Sgt.  Damon  a  chance  to  prove  himself  a 
hero;  on  Oct.  10  it  met  with  an  accident  (a  premature  burst)  and 
became  disabled — the  first  in  the  entire  regiment  to  be  so  unfor- 
tunate. This  was  merely  the  beginning  of  the  "AUie's"  bid  for 
notoriety.  On  Oct.  14,  when  moving  to  the  ordnance  repair  shop 
in  the  rear,  the  gun  and  tractor  had  to  cross  a  bridge  over  the 
railroad  track  at  Dombasle;  the  M.  P.  on  duty  there  assured 
the  gun-commander  that  the  bridge  was  safe — that  other  guns 
had  crossed  it  without  mishap,  and  that  the  ''AlUe"  had  nothing 
to  fear.  The  event  proved  otherwise.  As  the  twenty-four  tons  of 
gun  and  tractor  reached  the  center  of  the  bridge,  they  caused  the 
structure  to  give  way;  and  all  crashed  to  the  tracks  beneath.  The 
gun  "lit"  upside-down,  pointing  toward  the  west,  and  the  tractor 
fell  "on  its  feet"  pointing  toward  the  east;  happily  there  was  no 
loss  of  life — but  Wag.  Kenneth  Cameron,  who  was  driving  the 
tractor,  suffered  a  fracture  of  his  leg.  Oct.  14  was  to  have  been  a 
red-letter  day  for  the  railroad — as  the  roadway  had  just  been 
restored  after  its  severe  usage  at  the  hands  of  the  German  ar- 
tillery, and  the  first  train  since  1914  was  about  to  enter  Verdun. 
The  train  came  along  in  season  to  find  the  "Allie"  on  the  track, 
and  was  delayed  ten  hours  until  the  line  could  be  cleared — but 
what  was  a  paltry  ten  hours,  after  waiting  four  years?  When  the 
gun  had  been  righted,  it  was  hitched  to  the  locomotive  and  hauled 
up  the  track  to  the  nearest  cross-road,  and  thus  returned  to  the 
highway;  the  tractor  had  not  lost  its  power  of  locomotion,  and  was 
able  to  move  down  the  track  and  on  to  the  highway;  within  less 
than  half  a  day,  the  "AUie"  was  again  progressing  toward  the 
ordnance  repair  shop  and  the  train  was  entering  the  Verdun  yards. 
As  the  authorities  found  the  "Allie"  to  be  injured  past  the  possi- 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  183 

bility  of  immediate  restoration,  they  issued  a  new  gun  to  Bat.  A; 
the  substitute  "Allie'^  arrived  at  the  front  Oct.  30,  and  went  into 
action  Nov.  1. 

Much  human  interest  attached  to  artillery  fire.  Bat.  A  had  just 
finished  ''registering"  (i.  e.,  firing  trial  shots)  from  Montfaucon 
upon  a  point  on  the  road  west  of  the  Meuse.  The  regimental 
commander  happened  to  notice  from  the  observation  post  that  a 
convoy  of  enormous  German  trucks  were  standing  in  an  imperfectly 
concealed  position  nearby,  apparently  waiting  for  our  fire  to 
cease.  Lt.  Stryker,  who  was  in  command,  was  notified,  and  looked 
the  situation  over.  Quick  calculation  showed  that  the  distance 
to  the  road  was  13,600  meters;  proper  elevation  and  deflection 
were  immediately  telephoned  to  the  guns.  Meanwhile  four  of  the 
trucks  passed  along  the  road,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  observers 
at  Montfaucon;  then  the  next  four  prepared  to  start.  A  battery 
salvo  was  ordered ;  and  all  the  guns  were  discharged  simultaneously. 
The  projectiles  kept  their  appointment  with  the  trucks;  for  a 
moment  the  air  was  filled  with  the  debris  of  vehicles,  men  and  rocks. 
It  was  a  beautiful  piece  of  artillery  work,  destroying  four  trucks  and 
frightening  four  others  from  the  road  besides  scattering  a  regiment 
of  infantry,  which  chanced  to  be  near  the  center  of  impact.  Two 
French  officers  who  were  at  our  observation  post  became  so  excited 
that  they  danced  for  joy,  until  both  of  them  fell  off  the  platform, 
instruments  and  all,  to  the  ground  below. 

Back  at  regimental  Headquarters  they  were  bothered  by  the 
long-range  bombardment  of  a  German  marine  battery.  So  they 
turned  to  one  of  the  French  marine  batteries  right  nearby,  and 
asked  if  it  could  not  "strafe"  the  enemy  for  his  impudence.  Great 
was  the  delight  of  the  French  commanding  officer;  ''Certainly,'' 
he  answered,  "it  is  with  pleasure  that  I  shall  do  it — It  is  an  old 
friend  of  mine;  we  have  met  on  the  Somme  and  we  have  met  in 
Champagne,  everywhere  following  each  other  around;  if  he  is 
sending  his  visiting  card,  it  is  with  great  pleasure  that  I  shall 
return  him  mine."  He  kept  his  word;  and  the  annoying  bombard- 
ment soon  ceased. 

By  Oct.  11  the  enemy's  retirement  had  proceeded  so  far  that  the 
2d  Batl.,  in  the  Ravin  de  Lai  Fuon,  found  themselves  out  of  range; 
and  consequently  they  were  ordered  forward  to  the  Bois  de  Beuge, 
northwest  of  Montfaucon.  The  move  was  made  during  the  night 
of  Oct.  11-12;  in  view  of  the  traffic-congestion  and  the  ruined  and 


184  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

muddy  roads,  it  was  carried  out  expeditiously.  The  Bois  de  Beuge 
had  been  a  wooded  hill,  of  which  the  crest  was  distant  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  the  nearest  road ;  owing  to  prolonged  artillery  fire, 
the  woods  were  "all  shot  to  pieces."  The  55th  gunners  had  oppor- 
tunity to  estimate  the  damage  done  by  their  own  fire  two  weeks 
previously;  they  had  so  completely  destroyed  the  roads  about 
this  hill  that  they  now  experienced  great  difficulty  in  moving  their 
own  guns  thither.  Bat.  C,  who  entered  from  the  north,  thru 
Cierges,  had  to  secure  assistance  from  neighboring  engineers, 
before  they  could  use  the  road  at  all.  Tractors  became  stalled  and 
guns  were  mired;  block  and  tackle  had  to  be  used  in  order  to 
extricate  them;  in  one  case  Bat.  C  required  the  combined  power 
of  two  tractors  to  move  a  gun;  daylight  overtook  the  last  two 
guns;  and  an  enemy  plane  came  observing  and  drove  all  the 
gunners  to  cover.  Thick  weather  soon  set  in,  however,  enabHng 
the  battalion  to  complete  its  movement;  and  the  eight  guns  were 
placed  in  position.  Altho  it  is  customary  to  station  artillery  behind 
a  hill-crest,  so  as  to  secure  the  benefit  of  all  possible  flash  defilade, 
in  the  present  instance  there  were  reasons  for  emplacing  the  Bat. 
C  guns  on  the  very  crest  itself;  and  this  violation  of  artillery 
rules  turned  out  to  be  fortunate,  as  the  event  proved.  Bat.  D's 
position  was  farther  back,  safely  behind  the  hill. 

Continuous  rain  rendered  the  Bois  de  Beuge  a  sea  of  mud;  the 
battalion  commander  wondered  whether  he  could  ever  extricate 
himself  from  the  mire,  when  he  should  receive  his  next  order  to 
move — but  happily  the  rain  took  a  few  days'  intermission,  and 
permitted  him  to  go.  Meanwhile  men  were  wet  all  the  time,  and 
had  no  way  of  escape  from  the  discomfort  of  it;  they  stood  in 
mud,  ankle-deep,  all  day,  and  slept  in  "fox-holes"  excavated  in 
the  pasty  substance,  at  night.  Oddly  enough,  altho  influenza 
then  prevailed  everywhere  else  in  the  known  world,  the  dread 
disease  never  appeared  at  our  Montfaucon  front.  Nevertheless  the 
"flu"  occasioned  tragedies  amongst  the  membership  of  the  55th — 
and  soldier  hearts  came  near  to  breaking;  for  instance,  Pvt. 
John  A.  O'Brien  of  Headquarters  Co.  received  a  letter  bearing  the 
terrible  tidings  that,  within  a  single  hour,  his  mother,  his  sister 
and  his  little  daughter  had  fallen  victims  to  the  epidemic.  For 
a  few  bitter  moments  the  war  seemed  remote  and  unreal  and  his 
Swampscott  home  very  real  and  near  to  the  stricken  man.  Others, 
too,  suffered  bereavement,  amongst  them  Cpl.  Sumner  of  Bat.  A. 


Lts.  McKenna  and  Whittemore  outsiui;  Fiust  Battalion  Headquarters 


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Taking  It  Easy 


Gesnes 


Wide  World  Photo 


Bat.  B  Digging  Shelteus  at  Gi^sxEa.  Two  Thousand  Ixiaxthv  Weke  Killed  at  the  Top  of  this  Slope 


Copyright  Commillcc  on  l^ublic  Injormation 
Hit  by  a  German  Shell  (Not  the  55th) 


Kill  111. \    Ai    liri.No.w  11.1.1.    r.i. 


t  HOW  Attack 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  185 

At  the  Bois  de  Beuge  the  problem  hardest  to  solve  was  that  of 
bringing  in  supplies  and  ammunition ;  no  truck  could  cross  the  mud 
and  climb  the  hill.  Bat.  D  tried  a  rude  sled  drawn  by  a  tractor,  but 
with  little  success,  while  Bat.  C.  carried  heavy  ammunition  by  hand; 
finally  the  battalion  developed  the  custom  of  running  a  tractor 
each  night,  and  using  the  "elephant"  as  a  ferry-boat  to  transport  all 
kinds  of  stores.  A  bugler  is  said  to  have  noticed  the  parallel 
between  the  visits  of  this  tractor  and  the  trips  of  the  Quarter- 
master boat  in  Boston  Harbor,  and  one  night  to  have  greeted 
the  former  by  sounding  "boat-call";  the  bugler  had  not  foreseen 
that  the  familiar  tones  would  arouse  homesickness  in  the  men — he 
had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  mobbed.  When  infantry  stragglers 
from  the  5th  Division  applied  for  meals  at  the  battery  kitchens, 
they  were  set  to  work  by  way  of  payment  at  road-building — fifty 
of  them;  but  before  the  labor-crew  completed  the  road,  they 
were  confiscated  by  the  M.  P.'s. 

Firing  was  constant.  There  was  one  road  in  particular  in  the 
enemy  territory,  running  south  from  Tailly  to  Andevanne,  long 
stretches  of  which  pointed  directly  toward  the  Bois  de  Beuge, 
and  served  as  a  target  where  dispersion  was  at  the  minimum. 
From  the  battalion's  observation-tree  not  more  than  fifty  feet 
away  from  the  gun,  several  parts  of  the  road  were  directly  visible; 
so  that  the  observer  would  wait  until  he  saw  traffic  in  motion 
and  then,  by  shouting  to  the  gunners,  would  set  off  the  most 
damaging  sort  of  harassing  and  interdiction  fire.  Altho  they  were 
shooting  at  a  target  eight  miles  distant,  this  was  about  as  close  as 
heavy  artillery  could  ever  come  to  heeding  Israel  Putnam's  famous 
maxim  and  firing  only  when  they  saw  "the  whites  of  their  eyes." 
The  observing  ofl&cer  had  to  cling  to  the  tree,  or  he  would  be  blown 
out  bodily  by  the  blast  from  the  gun. 

The  enemy  retaliated  with  very  severe  shelling.  Narrow  escapes 
were  frequent.  One  projectile  struck  just  outside  of  the  telephone 
central  at  a  moment  when  an  important  firing-order  was  in  process 
of  transmission;  and  subsequent  careful  measurement  proved 
that  the  point  of  impact  was  the  only  spot  for  yards  around  where 
the  explosion  could  possibly  have  failed  to  do  serious  damage. 
Of  course  our  gun-flashes  could  not  help  but  be  seen  all  night  long; 
but  the  Germans  assumed  that  no  artilleryists  would  commit  the 
grave  error  of  taking  position  on  the  crest  of  a  hill,  and  consequently 
directed  their  fire  over  the  crest  to  the  reverse  slope;  our  very 
temerity  in  disregarding  safety  rules  saved  us. 


186  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Montfaucon  was  under  the  same  shell-fire  as  was  the  Bois  de 
Beuge.  When  Maj.  Smith  at  the  latter  post  was  conversing  over 
the  telephone  with  Col.  Dusenbury,  who  lived  in  a  tiny  wall-tent 
in  the  Bois  de  Tuilerie  near  the  ruins  of  the  former,  he  was  surprized 
to  lose  the  sound  of  the  Colonel's  voice  for  a  moment;  just  then 
came,  over  the  line,  the  characteristic  droning  whistle  of  an  ap- 
proaching shell,  followed  instantly  by  the  noise  of  the  explosion. 
An  almost  agonized  inquiry  was  shouted  as  to  whether  the  Colonel 
was  injured — the  only  answer  was  a  question,  "Did  you  folks  hear 
that?"  Capt.  Leary,  Capt.  Stitt  and  Chaplain  Cutler  lived  in  a 
little  sheet-iron  shack,  a  few  yards  distant  from  Col.  Dusenbury's 
tent — ^this  shack  was  ostensibly  the  post-office  and  was  occupied  by 
the  postman,  Cpl.  William  J.  Hill,  besides  the  three  officers.  There 
was  good  protection  against  the  rain,  but  not  any  shelter  from  shell- 
fire.  One  night  the  sleepers  were  awakened  by  a  German  "high- 
burst"  exploding  directly  above  the  shack,  followed  by  a  second 
and  a  third;  the  noise  was  deafening;  the  roof  was  showered  with 
fragments  of  wood  broken  from  the  tree-tops.  Capt.  Stitt  growled, 
"That  darned  fool  is  getting  too  close  for  comfort";  and  Capt. 
Leary  responded,  "  Let's  get  the  hell  out  of  here."  "  This  is  no  time 
to  swear,"  admonished  the  Chaplain;  "you  ought  to  be  praying." 
"You  do  the  praying  for  the  three  of  us,"  said  Capt.  Leary;  "that's 
your  business."  Within  less  than  ten  minutes,  all  four  of  them  were 
sound  asleep  once  more.  On  Oct.  13,  Interpreter  Rene  Thomas  was 
wounded  near  this  spot. 

In  spite  of  the  mud  at  the  Bois  de  Beuge,  life  was  not  all  tragedy. 
When  Lt.  Holton's  wedding  anniversary  occurred,  it  was  commemo- 
rated by  a  proper  wedding-cake;  and  the  gallant  lieutenant  only 
grieved  that  he  did  not  have  his  good  wife  there  to  share  the  luxury 
with  him.  There  was  no  relaxation  in  regimental  inspections; 
and  amid  the  Bois  de  Beuge  mud,  the  2d  Batl.  received  the  highest 
praise  ever  meted  out  in  the  entire  history  of  the  regiment,  because 
of  the  excellent  condition  of  both  their  kitchens  and  their  guns. 
Each  gun  was  washed  after  every  shot,  and  the  bore  was  sponged 
with  oil  after  every  second  shot;  projectiles  also  were  always 
scrupulously  scraped  and  cleaned. 

Occasional  arguments  arose  between  the  artillery  and  the  in- 
fantry, as  to  where  the  "front"  was;  the  infantry  claimed  that  the 
artillery  were  never  at  the  front.  While  it  was  true  that  the  artillery 
guns  took  position  near  the  infantry  reserves,  there  was  a  difference 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  187 

in  the  condition  of  the  two  classes  of  troops;  the  doughboys  were 
there  for  rest  and  shelter,  and  did  not  have  to  expose  themselves, 
while  the  gunners  were  in  action  and  had  to  keep  out  where  shells 
could  "get"  them.  On  one  occasion  decision  was  rendered  against 
us — and  by  no  less  a  tribunal  than  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Maj.  Wilson 
stopped  a  passing  Y  secretary  at  the  1st  Batl.  poste  de  command^ 
and  asked  for  some  tobacco;  as  the  secretary  handed  out  the 
"smokes,"  he  remarked  apologetically  to  the  Major,  "I  am  sorry 
that  I  have  to  charge  for  this — the  rules  permit  us  to  give  it  only  to 
men  at  the  front.'' 

And  yet,  right  there  within  a  few  hours  (Oct.  14)  a  German  shell 
struck  close  to  the  kitchen  stove,  and  caused  the  death  of  three  men 
— Pvt.  James  H.  Corridan  of  Headquarters  Co.,  and  Wag.  Harold 
A.  Law  and  Cook  Alfred  J.  McGurin  of  the  Supply  Co. — and 
wounded  five  others.  If  this  accident  had  happened  at  a  meal 
hour,  the  mortality  from  it  would  have  been  frightful  to  contem- 
plate; Montfaucon  may  not  have  been  "at  the  front,"  but  it  was 
dangerous.  On  Oct.  16,  field  artillery  guns  were  emplaced  in  the 
rear  of  the  post-ofiice  shack,  and  fired  over  the  roof  of  the  little 
building — so  near  was  it  to  the  German  lines. 

In  this  connection  it  is  possible  to  quote  from  a  description  of  the 
Chaplain's  work,  written  by  an  enlisted  man.  The  artillery  Chap- 
lain, it  must  be  noted,  was  situated  differently  from  the  correspond- 
ing officer  in  the  infantry;  he  was  alone  in  his  regiment.  Owing  to 
its  smaller  size,  an  artillery  regiment  rated  only  a  single  Chaplain; 
an  infantry  regiment  rated  three.  Since  the  artillery  Chaplain 
must  "play  a  lone  hand,"  he  was  always  selected  because  of  his 
longer  experience.  Pvt.  Mackman's  (Bat.  B)  narrative  was  as 
follows : 

"After  a  terrible  fire  put  over  by  the  Germans,  which  caused 
quite  a  loss  to  our  battalion,  the  Chaplain  began  his  valuable  work 
in  trying  to  keep  track  of  our  unfortunate  comrades  who  were 
wounded. 

"He  came  to  me  for  instructions  as  to  the  most  direct  route  to 
take  to  the  dressing-station;  and  it  was  my  duty  to  take  him  there, 
so  we  returned  to  the  fort. 

"The  road  and  the  town,  which  was  on  a  hill,  being  one  of  the 
main  observation  posts  of  the  German  Army  before  we  drove  them 
out,  was  being  constantly  shelled  with  high  explosives,  shrapnel 
and  gas,  but  we  had  to  go. 


188  The  Fijiy-fifth  Artillery 

"On  reaching  the  town  we  were  surprized  to  find  many  helpless 
wounded  soldiers  trying  to  get  to  the  dressing-station,  and  we 
immediately  gave  them  our  assistance.  There  were  a  great  many 
gas  patients,  and  we  found  it  hard  to  make  them  comfortable  in 
walking,  but  we  finally  got  them  there.  All  this  time  shells  were 
bursting  everywhere. 

"We  then  found  the  necessary  information  from  the  hospital — 
some  of  which  was  that  one  of  our  comrades  (Pvt.  Gratz)  had  died 
while  on  the  way,  which  caused  us  to  stay  much  longer  under  the 
continuous  fire. 

"  We  had  no  sooner  left  the  vicinity  of  the  dressing-station  than 
a  gas  shell  burst  and  gassed  about  two  dozen  patients.  We  just 
escaped  the  cloud,  and  ran  into  a  barrage  of  shrapnel,  which  we 
ducked  by  getting  into  a  dug-out. ^^ 

Referring  to  the  death  of  Corridan  and  Law,  he  said: 

"Once  again  we  had  the  duty  of  burying  two  of  our  comrades 
while  under  shell-fire,  giving  them  a  church  burial  while  the  shells 
were  bursting  all  around  us;  but  Providence  was  with  us  all  the 
time.'' 

By  the  middle  of  October  new  officers  began  to  report  for  duty 
with  the  55th,  partly  for  the  purpose  of  affording  relief  to  those  who 
had  been  in  action  on  this  sector  for  seventeen  continuous  days,  but 
more  especially  so  as  to  give  the  new-comers  a  chance  to  earn  pro- 
motion. An  order  had  recently  issued,  to  the  effect  that,  thereafter, 
promotion  would  be  restricted  to  officers  serving  at  the  front;  the 
gentlemen  who  had  held  staff  or  bureau  positions  immediately 
began  to  feel  the  "call"  of  Montfaucon.  At  this  time  Lt.  Col. 
Dusenbury  received  his  colonelcy.  A  number  of  men,  who  had 
been  left  behind  as  casuals,  now  came  up  with  a  replacement-draft, 
and  rejoined  their  former  units. 

Oct.  19  was  a  notable  date  in  the  regimental  history.  The 
regimental  section  assembled  near  Epinonville,  most  of  them 
coming  from  Montfaucon,  and  the  remainder  from  Camp  du 
Gendarme.  At  first  it  seemed  that  even  the  officers  would  have  to 
sleep  out  in  an  open  field;  but  the  Chaplain  went  "prospecting," 
and  found  a  splendid  dug-out  (Epinonville  was  directly  on  the 
Volker  Stellung)  which  was  about  to  be  vacated  by  the  89th  Divi- 
sion; and  Moses-like,  he  led  the  entire  Headquarters  "tribe"  into 
a  very  satisfactory  "  promised  land."  The  new  quarters  were  about 
one  hundred  feet  long,  twenty  feet  wide,  and  eight  feet  high. 


Americans  Great  Halloween  Party  189 

They  had  brick  walls,  heavy  log  roofing  covered  by  several  feet 
of  earth,  with  elephant-iron  on  top  of  the  latter,  and  were  partially 
floored  with  planks.  Excepting  the  side  which  looked  toward 
Germany,  the  structure  was  entirely  under  ground;  on  the  north, 
some  four  feet  of  the  upper  wall  projected  above  the  earth,  and 
afforded  light  thru  windows,  which  were  covered  with  cotton 
cloth.  The  windows  had  to  be  darkened  at  night;  and,  more 
serious  still,  this  unprotected  wall  was  vulnerable  to  artillery  fire 
from  the  new  enemy  positions.  The  structure  was  a  genuine  dug- 
out, and  was  very  damp;  except  for  the  protection  given  by  the 
elephant-iron,  there  would  have  been  a  continuous  seepage  from 
the  roof — and  there  was  some,  notwithstanding  precautions, 
especially  when  other  troops  "salvaged''  the  iron  from  off  our  roof 
and  left  us  exposed  to  the  French  weather.  The  structure  would 
have  been  an  excellent  stable  or  cow-shed;  and  the  55th  often 
expressed  congratulations  to  the  unknown  French  farmer,  whose 
premises  had  been  rendered  so  much  more  valuable  by  this  German 
military  construction.  Here  the  55th  were  actually  able  to  restore, 
and  use,  the  electric  lighting  system,  which  had  been  installed  by 
the  foe.  On  the  same  day,  John  L.  Roberts  succeeded  Granville 
Sevier  in  command  of  the  regiment;  and  Col.  Sevier,  Maj.  Wilson 
and  Capt.  Kircher  started  back  to  the  United  States,  for  the 
purpose  of  helping  train  new  artillery  regiments.  Col.  Roberts  was 
one  of  a  family  which  had  long  been  associated  with  Maine  and 
with  Boston,  altho  he  himself  was  a  native  of  New  York  City;  he 
began  his  military  career  in  the  7th  Infantry,  National  Guard, 
New  York,  became  a  captain  in  the  201st  N.  Y.  Volunteers  during 
the  Spanish  War,  and  afterwards  continued  in  the  Regular  Army. 
He  had  been  attached  to  the  55th  only  one  day  at  the  time  when 
he  succeeded  to  command  of  it.  Capt.  Kircher  was  performing  his 
duties  at  the  cost  of  much  suffering — was  indeed  very  sick  with 
fever — when  he  received  his  orders  to  return  to  the  United  States 
and  help  train  additional  troops  for  overseas  service;  thru  some 
unexplained  psychotherapeutic  influence  he  experienced  instant 
and  complete  recovery  upon  receipt  of  the  message.  Paying  a 
farewell  visit  to  his  comrades  at  the  Bois  de  Beuge  batteries,  he 
received  hearty  congratulations  from  all  of  them — for  America 
'looked  very  good"  to  the  55th  at  that  moment.  The  Captain 
had  dressed  up  for  his  journey,  and  was  wearing  his  best  boots. 
He  and  Capt.  Bettcher  walked  across  the  fields  toward  Head- 


190  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

quarters,  deep  in  conversation,  and  presently  came  to  a  brook. 
Capt.  Bettcher  was  wearing  rubber  boots,  and  gallantly  offered  to 
carry  Capt.  Kircher  across  the  stream,  pick-a-back.  The  conversa- 
tion continued  as  they  went  forward;  and  right  in  the  middle  of 
the  water-course,  Capt.  Bettcher  became  so  excited  over  the  mes- 
sages which  he  was  dictating  for  the  home-folk  that  he  absent- 
mindedly  let  go  of  his  burden  and  dropped  Capt.  Kircher,  boots 
and  all,  in  the  mud. 

Coincidently  with  the  transfer  of  the  regimental  post  of  command 
to  Epinonville,  the  battalions  also  moved  forward;  the  1st  and  3d 
Battalions  occupied  new  positions  in  the  town  of  Gesnes  (the  1st 
on  the  west  and  the  3d  on  the  north),  and  about  one  week  later 
the  2d  transferred  to  a  valley  on  the  Cunel  road  about  one  mile  west 
of  Romagne.  All  three  battalions  found  the  ground  littered  with 
dead  Germans,  and  had  to  exercize  care  to  keep  their  gun-wheels 
from  working  violence  to  these  former  enemies;  members  of  Bat. 
F,  after  a  few  hours'  rest  in  a  loft  filled  with  straw,  were  startled, 
at  day-break,  to  find  themselves  lying  amidst  dead  bodies  of  the 
enemy. 

Gesnes  was  a  more  comfortable  place  than  Montf aucon,  as  it  was 
equipped  with  many  old  German  barracks;  but  the  town  was 
within  easy  range  of  the  enemy.  During  the  first  night's  shelling, 
Capt.  Reynolds  was  driven  to  seek  a  better  dug-out;  and  found 
one  wherein  he  stood  for  an  hour  with  a  soothed  sensation  because 
he  felt  safe.  His  experience  demonstrated  how  slight  a  physical 
basis  may  sometimes  underlie  a  mental  state;  when  on  the  next 
morning  he  investigated  his  refuge  for  future  use,  he  was  horrified 
to  find  that  it  consisted  merely  of  two  big  wicker  baskets  and  a 
piece  of  tar-paper  over  them  as  a  roof.  Bombardment  was  con- 
tinuous, and  by  guns  of  the  largest  caliber;  seven  42  cm.  shells 
fell  in  Gesnes — the  first  that  the  enemy  had  used  since  1914.  The 
detonation  of  one  such  shell  produced  a  shell-pit  seventy-nine  feet 
across  and  nineteen  feet  deep  by  actual  measurement.  When  one 
of  these  "ash  cans"  struck  and  exploded  within  twenty-five  yards 
of  the  Bat.  E  commander's  post,  it  caused  one  battery  to  think 
that,  for  them,  la  guerre  was  fini.  A  shell  struck  the  Bat.  A  mess- 
shack  on  Oct.  31,  killing  Pvt.  Elmer  R.  Pond  and  Cook  Conrad 
Brown  and  wounding  a  third  man.  Another  shell  exploded  in  a 
barn  near  the  Bat.  F  position,  and  set  fire  to  gasolene  which  was 
stored  within;  Sgt.  Holden  and  Mech.  Rowe  rushed  in  and  lib- 


Americans  Great  Halloween  Party  191 

erated  the  horses  which  were  stabled  in  the  burning  building — 
alas!  in  some  cases  too  late  to  save  the  poor  beasts  from  injury. 
On  one  occasion,  as  shells  were  heard  approaching  Bat.  F,  each 
coming  nearer  to  the  battery  kitchen,  the  lieutenant  on  duty 
ordered  the  men  to  take  cover.  Sgt.  Scott  was  stirring  an  immense 
kettle  of  soup;  and  kept  right  on  with  his  task.  Upon  receiving 
a  second  admonition  to  move,  he  replied, 

"Sir,  if  I  go  now,  this  soup  will  burn.'* 

"If  you  stay,  your  life  won't  be  worth  a  nickel,  so  go." 

"That  may  be  so,  sir,  but  if  this  soup  burns,  my  life  in  this 
battery  won't  be  worth  a  nickel."  And  he  remained — without 
fatal  results.  On  Oct.  29  Sgt.  Theophilus  Higgins  of  Bat.  B  was 
wounded;  and  on  the  same  day,  Cpl.  William  J.  Andre  of  Bat.  B 
accidentally  shot  himself.  An  efficiently  managed  K.  of  C.  hut 
did  much  for  the  men's  comfort  at  this  position. 

While  at  Gesnes,  certain  officers  developed  curiosity  to  know 
what  the  enemy  looked  like  and  what  they  were  doing;  day  after 
day,  with  utter  disregard  for  caution,  they  "took  walks"  toward 
the  north — and  met  with  a  number  of  exciting  adventures.  For 
sheer  temerity,  however,  the  Battalion  Surgeon,  Maj.  Wray,  held 
the  preeminence;  not  only  did  he  indulge  in  the  "walks,"  but 
he  was  actually  found  one  day  enjoying  a  quiet  morning  nap  at 
a  sunny  spot  well  out  toward  the  enemy  lines.  Presently  the 
"walks"  became  a  matter  of  duty;  for  the  regiment  were  called 
upon  to  furnish  a  quota  of  scouts,  and  sent  men  so  far  forward 
as  to  bring  them  in  actual  contact  with  the  enemy. 

Gen.  Wright,  of  the  89th  Division,  selected  Gesnes  as  his  Head- 
quarters, and  compelled  the  1st  Batl.  to  vacate  some  of  the  finest 
German  barracks  in  his  favor.  Artillery  privates,  and  even  battery 
officers,  have  small  chance  of  winning  in  a  contest  with  a  major 
general;  it  was,  however,  possible  to  accomplish  a  little.  The 
General's  limousine  had  been  left  rather  close  to  the  guns ;  what  was 
to  hinder  firing  interdiction  shots  by  battery  salvo,  instead  of  by 
piece?  So  all  the  155's  were  discharged  simultaneously,  with 
much  injury  to  the  distant  enemy,  and  more  visible  damage  to 
the  glass  windows  of  the  limousine.  Further  retaliation  was 
possible  since  the  guns  were  conveniently  located  near  the  General's 
quarter.  German  shells  frequently  came  in,  with  their  characteris- 
tic, melancholy  whir  and  whine,  and  usually  exploded;  as  the 
gunners  heard  one  approach,   they  synchronized  the  discharge 


192  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

of  a  155  G.  P.  F.  with  the  expected  detonation  of  the  shell,  and 
produced  the  effect  of  a  projectile  exploding  right  outside  the  Gen- 
eral's door.     The  General  himself  rushed  forth  and  shouted, 

"Sergeant,  oh.  Sergeant,  where  did  that  one  hit?" 

"Sir,  it  hasn't  hit  yet,"  was  the  truthful  but  mystifying  reply. 

While  the  gunners  were  indulging  in  retaliation  upon  the  division- 
al officers,  they  incidentally  directed  the  same  joke  against  certain 
of  their  own  battery  officers,  who  were  not  in  the  secret.  The  rule 
was  for  a  man  to  throw  himself  flat  on  the  ground,  when  he  heard 
a  shell  coming;  one  battery  officer,  the  most  fastidious  dresser  of 
them  all,  measured  his  length  in  the  mud  several  times,  before  he 
saw  thru  the  prank. 

The  2d  Batl.,  on  the  Cunel  road,  were  under  the  notorious  Hill 
No.  288.  Associated  with  them  in  the  same  region  were  two 
battalions  of  the  57th  Arty,  and  one  of  the  59th.  These  artillery- 
men took  possession  of  portions  of  the  Kriemhilde  Stellung  and 
settled  themselves,  before  the  field  artillery  came  forward;  after- 
wards the  latter  emplaced  their  guns  in  the  rear  of  the  155's. 
Never  did  the  new  theory  of  Army  Artillery  operations  have  a 
fairer  test — and  as  we  shall  see,  never  did  such  artillery  achieve 
more  decisive  results.  The  2d  Batl.  moved  toward  Hill  No.  288 
under  machine-gun  fire,  and  they  had  only  scattered  machine- 
gunners  between  them  and  the  German  line  when  they  halted — 
indeed  they  were  less  than  one  and  one-half  miles  distant  from 
the  enemy;  as  their  presence  must  be  kept  secret  for  a  few  days, 
they  could  not  fire  any  answering  shots,  and  their  own  men  had 
to  serve  as  a  forward  infantry  picket-line  in  order  to  guard  against 
possible  raids.  An  old  well  in  Romagne  was  their  only  available 
source  of  water-supply.  As  the  foe  had  so  recently  vacated  the 
neighborhood  they  remembered  the  importance  of  the  well,  and 
shelled  it  periodically  and  accurately  and  with  all  too  fatal 
results. 

There  was  considerable  discussion  amongst  the  different  heavy 
artillery  regiments  as  to  which  occupied  the  most  advanced  position 
during  the  war.  Claims  were  early  made  by  the  57th  Arty,  in 
behalf  of  their  emplacements  at  Bois  d'Emont  on  Oct.  13,  by  the 
59th  Arty,  in  behalf  of  Eclisfontaine  on  Oct.  11,  and  by  the  60th 
Arty,  in  behalf  of  Fleville  on  Oct.  10.  After  a  careful  study  of  the 
battle-map,  the  author  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  60th  at  Fleville 
went  into  position  nearer  the  enemy  than  did  any  other  regiment. 


MONTFAUCON    FROM    IvOIRY 


Signal  Corps  Photo 


MONTFAUCON 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  193 

and  that  the  55th,  57th  and  59th,  at  Romagne,  held  second  place 
in  the   contest  for  closeness   of  proximity  to  the  foe. 

Pvt.  Lawrence  A.  Freeman  of  Hq.  Co.,  while  driving  Maj.  Smithes 
auto  on  Oct.  25  near  Romagne,  was  struck  by  a  shell-fragment  and 
seriously  wounded;  he  needed  instant  medical  attention,  and 
consequently  exerted  all  that  remained  of  his  waning  strength  to 
drive  hirnself  to  the  nearest  dressing-station.  The  mishap  took 
place  while  the  Major  was  away  reconnoitering  on  foot;  when  the 
officer  finished  his  reconnoissance,  he  found  himself  under  the 
unpleasant  necessity  of  walking  thru  a  very  dangerous  mile  of 
country,  back  to  his  quarters.  Pvt.  Raymond  J.  Fortier  of  Bat. 
C  was  mortally  wounded  on  Oct.  27.  The  French  field  artillery, 
who  moved  in  as  neighbors  to  the  55th,  experienced  much  difficulty 
transporting  their  guns  thru  the  deep  mud,  and  again  and  again 
borrowed  the  American  tractors  to  help  them  out — ^it  was  here 
that  the  Holt  was  finally  conceded  the  "pennant''  as  champion 
overcomer  of  mud;  the  grateful  Frenchmen  reciprocated  by 
extending  to  the  Americans  frequent  invitations  to  dinner — and 
French  dinners,  even  at  the  front,  were  decidedly  worth  eating. 

Regimental  Headquarters  at  Epinonville  was  shelled  on  Oct. 
25,  one  projectile  exploding  within  fifty  feet  of  the  Band  tents,  and 
another  a  little  farther  away  from  the  officers'  quarters.  German 
aeroplanes  kept  dropping  propaganda  literature,  which  set  forth 
the  worthy  character  of  the  "new  democratic  government"  in 
the  Kaiser's  realm,  and  explained  the  "peace-loving"  disposition 
of  the  enemy,  and  extended  to  such  enlisted  men  as  would  stop 
fighting,  a  formal  offer  of  peace;  the  Yanks  were  amused  by  these 
evidences  of  German  simple-mindedness.  When,  on  Oct.  27, 
another  plane  dropped  a  bomb  on  the  open  ground  near  Head- 
quarters (trying  to  hit  a  balloon  park,  but  failing)  we  understood 
fully  what  German  "peace"  would  mean.  The  latter  plane  did 
not  succeed  in  regaining  the  enemy  lines. 

On  Oct.  27,  the  Chaplain  conducted  church  services  at  Gesnes — 
the  first  public  worship  which  had  been  possible  since  Sept.  14. 
Owing  to  battle  conditions,  and  the  danger  arising  from  concentrat- 
ing numbers  of  men  at  any  single  point,  the  meetings  had  to  be 
divided  up,  and  held  under  camouflage  cover.  The  1st  Batl. 
worshiped  in  their  mess-shack — the  same  where  Pond  and  Brown 
met  their  death.  Bat.  E  assembled  in  an  old  German  barrack; 
and  Bat.  F  worshiped  separately  in  another  similar  structure. 
13 


194  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

The  Fusiliers  had  accumulated  several  captured  machine-guns, 
ammunition  belts  and  all,  with  which  they  had  equipped  an  im- 
provized  anti-aircraft  battery  made  up  from  their  own  reserve 
section.  One  of  the  guns,  a  French  "Chau  Chat,"  had  been 
captured  months  previously  from  the  original  makers  by  the 
Germans,  and  had  been  recaptured  by  Bug.  William  Roulet  (who 
ultimately  bore  his  trophy  home  in  triumph  to  Boston).  This 
battery  was  in  position  alongside  of  the  building  in  which  church 
was  held.  When  during  the  service  an  enemy  plane  appeared 
over-head,  and  caused  the  machine-guns  to  open  fire,  the  interrup- 
tion made  evident  the  fact  that  the  human  voice  is  powerless  in 
competition  with  artillery — the  Chaplain's  prayer  was  interrupted 
midway  in  its  course,  and  the  final  petitions  were  entirely  lost 
by  the  congregation.  This  day's  worship  was  all  conducted  under 
fire.  Oct.  27  was  also  notable  because  it  marked  Col.  Dusenbury's 
departure  for  his  new  post  of  duty,  as  commander  of  O.  &  T. 
Center  No.  1  at  Libourne;  he  possessed  the  esteem  of  the  entire 
regiment,  and  his  leaving  occasioned  much  regret. 

Some  brave  ladies  had  come  to  France,  to  assist  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
in  its  ministrations.  It  was,  of  course,  the  rule  that  ladies  should 
not  be  brought  near  enough  the  front  to  expose  them  to  needless 
danger;  but  there  was  sometimes  difficulty  in  telling  exactly  where 
the  danger-line  lay.  On  Oct.  28  two  courageous  canteen-workers 
opened  a  center  of  good  cheer  in  Epinonville,  and  at  once  attracted 
a  gathering  of  delighted  young  soldiers  from  both  the  89th  Division 
and  the  55th  Artillery.  Presently,  however,  the  explosion  of  half 
a  dozen  enemy  shells  in  the  vicinity  convinced  the  ambitious  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  people  that  Epinonville  was  not  yet  a  quiet  sector;  and 
amid  universal  regret  the  ladies  departed  for  safer  regions. 

United  States  mail  reached  the  regiment  at  irregular  intervals. 
On  the  21st  of  October  the  Chaplain  had  to  journey  all  the  way 
to  Bar-sur-Aube  and  back  (200  miles)  for  the  purpose  of  securing 
missing  sacks.  On  Oct.  30  the  regiment  came  near  losing  thirty-one 
sacks  at  Souilly;  if  the  mail  had  not  been  a  few  minutes  late  in 
arriving,  it  would  have  been  caught  and  destroyed  inside  of 
burning  barracks. 

War  produced  unusual  contacts.  On  Oct.  30  the  Chaplain  was 
called  upon  to  conduct  a  Masonic  funeral  for  the  147th  F.  Arty, 
at  Epinonville,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  was  ^himself  not 
then  a  Mason.  Another  summons  from  the  same  regiment,  on  Nov. 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  195 

1,  laid  upon  the  Chaplain  the  duty  of  interring  a  man  from  the 
section  of  South  Dakota  where  he  had  himself  been  pastor  twenty 
years  previously — Massachusetts  and  South  Dakota  met  in  the 
Argonne. 

Orders  were  issued  that  battalion  commanders  must  learn  the 
art  of  aerial  observation — in  other  words,  they  must  go  up  in  the 
balloons  and  find  out  how  it  felt.  That  week,  by  careful  estimate, 
the  chances  were  three  out  of  five  that  an  aeronaut  would  be 
attacked  in  the  air,  and  would  have  to  jump  for  his  life;  and  the 
prospect  did  not  appeal  strongly  to  the  mature  gentlemen  who 
served  as  commanders  of  the  artillery  battalions.  How  it  was 
managed  the  author  does  not  know;  but  only  Capt.  Reynolds,  of 
all  the  officers  designated,  ever  had  to  make  an  actual  ascent. 
The  order  was  used  as  the  means  for  playing  a  practical  joke  on 
Lt.  Bates;  he  was  officially  notified  to  be  in  readiness  for  a  day  in 
the  skies,  the  ascent  being  scheduled  for  the  following  morning. 
His  friends  watched  carefully  for  symptoms  of  nervousness  over 
the  approaching  ordeal,  and  he  was  given  all  sorts  of  instructions 
in  the  details  of  parachute-leaping;  the  lieutenant  accepted  his 
assignment  calmly  and  imperturbably — and  at  the  time  of  the 
expected  ascent,   discovered  that  it  was  intended  humorously. 

Capt.  Stitt,  as  supply  officer  of  the  regiment,  found  that  his  task 
was  by  no  means  "a  minor  job"  during  the  latter  days  of  the 
great  battle — indeed  it  had  always  been  a  hard  and  important  work. 
All  the  best  trucks  had  been  taken  from  the  55th  and  loaned  to  the 
52d  Ammunition  Train;  the  remainder  of  the  transportation  was 
placed  under  control  of  the  Captain,  with  instructions  that  he 
must  so  use  it  as  to  keep  the  regiment  fully  supplied.  Meanwhile, 
of  course,  the  weather  grew  no  drier  and  the  roads  no  better. 
Twenty  separate  messes  looked  to  Capt.  Stitt  for  their  food  and 
fuel.  Vehicles  wore  out  rapidly  under  extreme  use — as  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  transportation  was  not  in  first-class  condition  when  it  was 
delivered  to  the  55th.  Dodge  auto-tires  were  lacking  to  such  an 
extent  that  cars  had  to  be  laid  aside ;  when  a  regimental  movement 
took  place,  part  of  the  Dodges  would  go  forward,  and  would  be 
stripped  of  their  tires;  the  latter  would  be  sent  back  in  a  truck,  and 
the  remaining  autos  would  then  advance  under  their  own  power — 
but  on  borrowed  tubes.  When,  one  day,  Lt.  McKenna's  rolling- 
kitchen  actually  shook  to  pieces  on  the  road,  its  fate  was  regarded 
not  as  interesting  in  itself,  but  it  was  accepted  as  a  warning  of 


196  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

what  was  likely  soon  to  overtake  all  the  55th's  transportation. 
In  spite  of  difficulties,  Capt.  Stitt  "delivered  the  goods." 

As  the  enemy  forces  began  to  disintegrate,  all  sorts  of  souvenirs 
rewarded  Yank  hunters — it  was  said  that  Americans  had  gone 
to  war  for  the  express  purpose  of  gathering  such  tokens  of  re- 
membrance. Helmets  and  weapons  and  badges  came  our  way, 
of  all  kinds  and  without  number.  One  bugler  (Hoffman  of 
Bat.  C),  who  chanced  to  be  a  member  of  the  Elks,  found  im- 
bedded in  the  trail  of  a  German  77  mm.  gun  an  American  revol- 
ver-bullet, which  had  become  misshapen  so  as  to  resemble  an  elk^s 
tooth. 

During  the  weeks  of  the  great  struggle,  division  after  division 
of  the  American  Army  adopted  the  odd  symbols  which  afterward 
came  to  be  universally  worn  on  the  left  shoulder  of  the  coat.  From 
the  very  beginning  various  units  had  painted  identification  marks 
on  their  trucks  and  their  baggage,  following,  in  this  practise,  the 
French  custom.  Finally  the  81st  Division  (the  Wild-Cat)  had 
appeared  with  their  totemic  emblem  sewed  according  to  British 
usage,  in  cloth,  on  their  shoulders — it  was  believed  that  the  cloth 
"wild-cats"  had  been  prepared  back  in  the  United  States,  before 
the  Division  sailed  overseas.  The  5th  Division  promptly  followed 
the  new  custom,  and  mounted  the  red  diamond — apparently 
taking  the  device  from  the  60th  Artillery,  who  had  long  used  it  on 
trucks  and  autos.  Then  the  custom  became  universal,  and  was 
given  the  seal  of  official  approval  by  G.  O.  No.  33,  1st  Army,  on 
Nov.  9.  The  shoulder  symbol  was  first  adopted  for  the  purpose  of 
enabling  men  to  recognize  their  comrades  amid  the  stress  of  battle; 
later  it  demonstrated  its  utility  as  a  method  of  preventing  strag- 
gling. On  the  latter  ground,  it  appeared  wise  to  the  staff  of  the  1st 
Army  to  provide  an  identifying  mark  for  Army  troops,  who  did  not 
belong  to  any  division;  and  they  prescribed  a  large  "block  A"  in 
black  cloth.  Then  the  Army  Artillery  desired  something  more 
distinctive,  and  they  received,  on  Nov.  17,  permission  to  insert  a 
filling  of  red  and  white  cloth  between  the  legs  of  the  A.  The  55th 
received  orders  to  sew  such  ornaments  on  their  shoulders,  and 
obeyed;  on  Nov.  25,  they  received  further  orders  to  remove  the 
ornaments,  and  complied.  A  third  order  reached  other  regiments, 
in  accordance  with  which  the  "A"  was  put  back  for  a  second  time; 
but  as  the  55th  never  received  this,  they  became  known  as  the 
regiment  without  any  shoulder  device. 


Wide  World  Photo 


ROMAGNE 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  197 

American  soldiers  found  France  a  land  where  conditions  especially 
favored  the  growth  of  romance;  the  castle-crowned  hills,  the 
omnipresent  caves  and  cellars,  the  frequent  patches  of  forest, 
the  indigenous  social,  domestic  and  agricultural  customs  were 
mysterious,  and  all  conspired  to  stimulate  Yank  imagination. 
War  itself  added  fresh  stimulus.  During  the  battle,  wild  tales 
began  to  appear  in  letters  which  were  submitted  for  censorship; 
men  who  were  merely  sick  reported  themselves  as  "  wounded,*' 
and  told  of  their  ''croix  de  guerre."  Stragglers  from  the  37th  Divi- 
sion won  much  sympathy  and  many  meals  from  the  55th,  by  means 
of  their  stories  of  horrible  adventure  in  No  Man's  Land;  and 
continued  "to  work  their  graft"  until  they  were  rounded  up  by  the 
M.  P.'s,  and  sent  back  to  duty.  One  could  scarcely  ever  disprove 
a  tale — the  most  improbable  things  might  happen.  After  applying 
all  known  tests  for  verisimilitude,  the  following  are  submitted  as 
choice  examples  of  55th  Arty,  fiction,  the  kind  of  tales  with  which 
the  artillerymen  regaled  their  home-folk. 


"In  the  Argonne,  about  Oct.  20,  the  battery  received  orders 
to  move  up  closer  to  the  front.    Scouts  were  sent  on  ahead  to  clear 

away   any   obstructions,   while   R ,   with   a   companion,   was 

assigned  to  bring  up  the  rear,  to  give  notice  of  any  danger  from 
that  quarter.  The  path  followed  was  through  trees  and  brush 
which  afforded  an  excellent  hiding  place  for  machine-gun  nests 
and  snipers.  A  sharp  lookout  was  kept  on  all  sides,  but  despite 
this  the  entire  battery  passed  one  nest  before  it  was  discovered. 

"This  nest  was  in  a  shell-hole  which  afforded  a  clear  range  of  the 
battery's  rear.     The  boche  was  just  warming  into  action  when 

R jumped  him  and  sent  a  40-40  clear  through  his  helmet. 

The  first  shot  simply  stunned  him,  though,  for  taking  better 
cover,  he  swung  the  gun  around  and  then  began  a  battle  between 
the  two  without  either  willing  to  give  quarter.  The  fight  lasted 
several  minutes  before  other  members  of  the  battery  could  come 
to  the  rescue,  and  even  then  half  a  dozen  shots  were  sent  through 
the  steel  head  covering  before  the  boche  was  finally  killed." 

THE   QUAD   WHICH   WAS   DRAWN   BY   MULES 

"Another  man  cited  is  W A ,  who,  when  the  outfit 

had  been  under  fire  for  three  days  without  a  drop  of  water,  volun- 


198  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

teered  to  run  the  danger  of  the  constantly  bursting  shells  and  was 
forced  to  cover  22  kilometers  before  he  could  find  any  fit  to  drink. 
The  hazard  was  doubled  on  the  trip  back  with  the  precious  fluid, 
but  he  got  through  safely  and  was  greatly  welcomed. 

"On  still  another  occasion  he  was  bringing  up  a  quad  wagon 
loaded  with  powder  from  the  rear.  A  shell  burst  in  the  road  nearby, 
a  fragment  tearing  off  one  of  the  wheels  and  showering  both  driver 
and   mules   with   mud   and   splinters.     Although   bleeding  from 

nearly  a  dozen  cuts  and  bruises,  A managed  to  keep  the 

frightened  animals  in  control,  and  when  they  had  become  quieted, 
chopped  down  a  young  sapling  and  used  it  as  a  skid  in  place  of  the 
missing  wheel.  He  got  the  powder  through  somehow  and  made 
light  of  his  wound  when  there  was  talk  of  sending  him  to  a  hospital. *' 

ADVENTURES   NINE   MILES   IN   THE   REAR 

"Another  man  admired  by  his  fellows  is  Sergt.  F ,  who  holds 

the  rank  of  gun-commander.  The  latter  holds  a  long  record  for 
service,  but  did  not  get  into  the  limelight  until  September,  when 
he  saved  four  of  the  battery's  guns  from  destruction  at  Coulonges. 
The  outfit  at  this  point  was  stationed  close  to  the  German  lines, 
and  the  raids  both  from  the  air  and  the  boche  batteries  were 

frequent.    Orders  finally  came  for  an  advance,  and  F 's  battery 

moved  forward.  They  were  almost  in  the  infantry  front  lines 
when  the  orders  came  to  halt;  and  as  there  was  no  time  to  pull 

back,  or  to  get  into  action,  for  that  matter,  F cast  his  life  to 

the  winds  when  he  crawled  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees  almost 
to  the  German  lines  in  order  to  learn  the  location  of  the  German 
emplacements  and  the  points  against  which  they  were  directing 
the  attack. 

"  Crawling  back,  he  gave  orders  that  the  guns  be  hidden  under  a 
camouflage,  and  so  well  was  the  work  carried  out  that  they  lay 
in  concealment  all  the  next  day  and  the  greater  part  of  the  next 
night,  until  the  Germans  were  driven  out  and  the  battery  could 
get  back  into  action.  Later  it  was  learned  that  the  point  at  which 
the  guns  were  concealed  was  less  than  200  yards  from  the  grave  of 
Quentin  Roosevelt." 

AN   EXPEDITION   WHICH   NEVER   WAS 

"One  of  the  wounded  members  to  return  with  the  battery  is 
J D ,  who  also  has  been  cited  for  bravery.     D was 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  199 

on  a  scouting  expedition  in  the  Argonne  with  one  of  the  battalion 
commanders.  A  shell  struck  the  machine  in  which  they  were 
riding,  wounding  him  in  the  leg  and  shattering  the  side  of  the  car. 
The  engine,  however,  was  not  damaged;  and  although  the  officer 

insisted  that  he  go  back,  D refused  and  stayed  on  until  the 

information  they  were  after  was  gained  and  safely  back  in  the  hands 
of  those  who  desired  it." 

Truth  may  be  stranger  than  fiction;  but  fiction  is  the  more 
entertaining. 

Romagne  was  selected  by  Gen.  Pershing  as  the  site  for  America's 
great  military  cemetery;  and  there  the  remains  of  some  thirty 
thousand  men  were  interred.  These  men,  when  they  fell,  had 
first  been  buried  in  the  nearest  available  spot — preferably  an 
abandoned  trench,  in  order  to  save  digging.  As  time  permitted, 
loyal  comrades  mounded  up  the  graves  and  surrounded  them  with 
wire  fencing  and  marked  them  with  small,  wooden  crosses;  officers 
and  men  of  the  55th  rendered  this  service  in  many  instances  to  the 
graves  of  infantrymen.  Until  the  dead  were  assembled  at  Romagne, 
the  entire  battle-area  was  hallowed  by  their  presence — the  bravest 
and  best  of  the  army,  for  German  shells  "loved  a  shining  mark." 
If  the  life-blood  of  noble  men  could  sanctify,  the  soil  of  northern 
France  was  thrice-sacred — the  sepulcher,  it  was,  of  martyrs;  the 
altar  of  Freedom  and  Right. 

German  dead  were  always  decently  interred  by  the  Yanks; 
their  case  was  considered  immediately  after  that  of  the  Americans 
and  French,  and  their  graves  were  duly  registered.  One  sur- 
prizing instance  occurred.  The  officers'  kitchen  at  Epinonville 
was  established  on  the  edge  of  a  bank,  at  a  spot  where  there  was 
not  the  slightest  evidence  of  earlier  mortuary  activity.  When  on 
the  first  day  the  kitchen  fire  had  been  burning  long  enough  to  heat 
the  soil,  everyone  noticed  that  the  earth  was  swelling — or  rather 
that  a  section  of  it  was  altering  its  contour.  As  the  swelling  took 
form,  it  involved  the  surface  of  the  ground  within  an  area  of  some 
six  feet  by  two.  Very  little  speculation  was  required  to  find  a 
reason  for  the  phenomenon;  but  it  was  harder  to  determine  what 
to  do  about  it.  There  was  no  other  good  place  for  the  kitchen. 
Consequently,  as  long  as  the  55th  remained  at  Epinonville,  the 
officers  ate  their  meals  by  that  bank;  and  every  day  the  swelling 
made  its  appearance  at  breakfast  time  and  continued  visible 
until  the  ground  cooled  at  night.    When  we  left  the  district,  one 


200  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

of  our  last  acts  was  to  report  to  the  Graves  Registration  Service 
that  a  German  grave  existed  at  the  indicated  place. 

Oct.  31  brought  the  encouraging  tidings  that  Turkey  had  sur- 
rendered. 

By  the  end  of  the  month  Gen.  Liggett  had  brought  up  both  flanks 
of  the  1st  Army  to  the  line  which  the  "center  bulge"  established 
nearly  four  weeks  earlier;  the  enemy  had  been  entirely  expelled 
from  the  Argonne  Forest;  and  progress  had  been  made  against  the 
heights  beyond  the  Meuse  River.  This  month  of  incessant  battle 
had  cost  thousands  of  lives;  the  gain  from  it  consisted  in  driving 
the  Germans  out  of  four  of  their  six  lines  of  prepared  defenses. 
Meanwhile  American  artillery  had  advanced  far  to  the  front,  and 
ammunition  had  been  accumulated  near  the  batteries,  amounting 
to  1,200  rounds  per  gun.  Everything  was  ready  for  a  second  great 
drive. 

Gen.  Summerall's  5th  Corps  was  aligned,  with  the  89th  Division 
on  the  right  and  the  2d  on  the  left  and  the  1st  in  reserve.  For 
Corps  artillery  supports,  there  were  in  position  the  31st  Brigade 
under  Gen.  Davis,  and  the  32d  Brigade,  commanded  by  our  former 
"chief,"  Col.  James  F.  Howell.  The  latter  paid  a  friendly  visit 
to  his  old  regiment  on  Nov.  5,  and  received  a  most  cordial  welcome. 
The  Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,  was  under  command  of  Gen. 
McGlachlin,  whose  Headquarters  were  at  Bar-sur-Aube,  and 
who  occupied  advanced  posts  of  command  at  Souilly  and  Epinon- 
ville;  during  the  second  great  drive,  however,  the  31st  and  32d 
Brigades  were  temporarily  attached,  for  tactical  purposes,  to  the 
5th  Corps,  and  were  commanded  by  Brig.  Gen.  Dwight  E.  Aultman. 
Since  Oct.  12,  the  31st  Brigade  had  been  complete,  the  57th  Arty, 
having  joined  on  that  date;  this  regiment  comprized  four  bat- 
teries from  New  York  City  and  two  from  Maine,  the  latter  being 
the  2d  Batl.  Col.  Louis  R.  Burgess  commanded  the  57th.  The 
regiment  had  a  blue  triangle  as  its  emblem  (3d  regiment  in  the  31st 
Brigade),  and  also  stenciled  a  "pickle"  on  its  guns  and  baggage  as 
a  suggestion  of  how  "Heintz"  had  rendered  the  regimental  number 
famous;  the  2d  Batl.  was  an  older  unit  than  the  rest  of  the  regiment, 
and  never  relinquished  its  own  emblem — a  flying  eagle  bearing  a 
projectile.  The  5th  Corps  Headquarters  was  at  Cheppy,  and  the 
31st  Brigade's  at  Ivoiry.  Col.  Roberts  commanded  the  55th  Arty.; 
Capt.  Bryan  was  Adjutant;  Capt.  Reynolds,  Maj.  W.  B.  Smith 
and  Maj.  Nestor  commanded  the  three  battalions;  and  the  bat- 


Mess  Line,  Epinonville 


Epinonville 


Wide  World  Photo 


Balloon  on  Fire,  Epinonville,  Oct.  28,  1918 


Parachute  Falling  After  Burning  Balloon 
Epinonville 


Two  Bombs  from  German  Plane,  Epinonville, 
Oct.  27,  1918 


Balloon  Stationed  near  Headquarters  at  Epinonville 


Geeman  Dug-outs  Occupied  by  the  Fifty-fifth  at  Epinonville 


Epinonville.     "Bbaucoup  Prisoners"  Passing  Headquarters  after  Nov.  1  Drive 


America's  Great  Halloween  Party  201 

teries  were  commanded  by  (Headquarters  Co.)  Capt.  W.  L.  Smith, 
(A)  Lt.  Youngberg,  (B)  Capt.  Kimball,  (C)  Capt.  McKenna,  (D) 
Capt.  Hirsch,  (E)  Capt.  Shaffer,  (F)  Lt.  Vickers,  in  the  temporary- 
absence  of  Capt.  Dodge,  who  was  sick,  and  (Supply  Co.)  Capt.  Stitt. 
The  regiment  had  only  59  officers  present,  of  the  71  to  whom  it 
was  entitled ;  so  many  changes  had  taken  place  that  only  32  officers 
remained  who  had  been  included  in  the  roster  eight  months  pre- 
viously. The  enlisted  strength  was  slightly  over  1,600 — about 
100  below  the  maximum;  of  these  some  30  were  absent. 

While  it  was  doubtful  whether  many  Americans  had  time  to 
consider  the  anniversary  significance  of  Oct.  31,  they  were  never- 
theless busily  preparing  for  the  most  stupendous  "Halloween"  ob- 
servance in  all  history;  as  the  enemy  viewed  the  event  in  retro- 
spect, they  would  doubtless  have  accepted  Burns'  description  as 
accurate  (understanding  the  ''gleam"  and  "thunder"  as  references 
to  flares  and  artillery) : 

"The  wind  blew  as't  wad  blawn  its  last, 

The  rattling  showers  rose  on  the  blast; 

The  speedy  gleams  the  darkness  swallowed; 

Loud,  deep,  and  lang  the  thunder  bellowed: 

That  night,  a  child  might  understand, 

The  Deil  had  business  on  his  hand." 
The  targets  for  the  55th  were  cross-roads,  German  batteries 
and  concentrations  of  men  behind  the  enemy  lines  between  Buzancy 
and  Andevanne,  at  distances  ranging  from  six  to  eight  miles  from 
our  guns.  Field  artillery  opened  fire  at  10  p.  m.,  and  the  heavy 
cannon  commenced  work  at  2  a.  m.  on  Nov.  1;  at  5.30  a.  m.  the 
infantry  advanced.  While  there  were  fewer  French  guns  participat- 
ing in  this  artillery  preparation,  the  increased  number  of  Americans 
compensated  for  the  subtraction;  and  gunners  had  a  glitter  in 
their  eyes;  the  scenes  and  sounds  of  Sept.  26  were  repeated  and 
exceeded;  once  more  both  earth  and  sky  seemed  vibrant  with 
destructive  violence.  Observers  described  the  firing  as  "the 
most  tremendous,  flexible,  accurate  barrage  in  the  history  of 
warfare";  the  enemy  were  surprized,  nay  paralyzed,  by  its  violence 
and  accuracy.  The  infantry  attack  was  protected  by  a  barrage 
from  155's — in  the  past,  the  rolling-barrage  had  always  been  laid 
by  the  field  artillery;  in  this  work,  three  guns  of  a  battery  would 
fire  while  the  fourth  was  allowed  to  cool.  Very  few  answering 
shots  came  back  from  the  demoralized  enemy;  one  such  happened 


202 


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Americans  Great  Halloween  Party  203 

to  strike  amongst  the  neighboring  147th  F.  Arty.;  and  the  ex- 
ploding projectile  actually  buried  a  man,  all  but  his  face — without 
any  permanent  injury  to  him  whatever.  The  American  Halloween 
celebration  involved  the  sending  of  hundreds  of  Germans  to  join 
the  saints — or  contrariwise;  whatever  uncertainty  might  exist 
as  to  the  destination  of  the  dead,  there  was  no  doubt  about  the 
streams  of  prisoners — "beaucoup  prisoners,''  as  the  men  described 
the  sight — pouring  southward  along  every  road,  to  the  pens  in  the 
rear.  Two  mounted  M.  P.'s  escorted  250  captives  past  the  regi- 
mental Headquarters  of  the  55th ;  and  amongst  the  latter  we  were 
astounded  to  see  three  women. 

Plans  worked  out  perfectly.  When  the  artillery  had  pulverized 
the  German  front  line,  the  infantry  advanced,  almost  unopposed, 
thru  the  "opening"  thus  provided.  Only  once,  on  Nov.  2,  did 
infantry  within  range  of  the  55th  encounter  serious  difficulty — 
the  1st  and  3d  Battalions  were  called  upon  to  make  a  ninety- 
degree  face  to  the  westward  in  order  to  assist  the  78th  Division 
overcome  lingering  resistance  in  the  latter's  sector.  Meanwhile  the 
longer-ranged  guns  had  shot  the  enemy's  supports  out  from  under 
them,  supports  upon  which  the  Germans  were  relying  as  an  es- 
sential factor  in  their  defense;  the  front  line  was  left,  as  the  enemy 
themselves  expressed  it,  "in  the  air."  Opposition  had  literally  dis- 
appeared; our  men  "lost  contact."  It  afterwards  became  known 
that  the  fleeing  enemy  were  hastening  at  full  speed  toward  their  last 
defensive  system,  the  Lille-Metz  Stellung;  but  for  a  day  or  two  the 
Americans  could  not  ascertain  what  had  become  of  them.  As  soon 
as  the  retreat  caused  artillery  ranges  to  be  unduly  lengthened,  the 
batteries  were  ordered  into  traveling  position  for  the  purpose  of 
following  up  the  foe;  a  battalion  of  the  56th  started  forward  at 
full  speed,  did  the  hardest  day's  march  in  all  their  career,  hastily 
placed  themselves  in  firing  position  and  were  ready  to  fire,  when 
they  received  the  information  that  the  foe  were  again  out  of  range. 
"Oh,  hell!"  was  the  only  possible  comment.  Infantry  had  to  be 
transported  forward  in  trucks — marching  foot-soldiers  could  not 
even  keep  in  sight  of  the  foe.  The  55th  waited  a  day  or  two  before 
advancing,  simply  because  it  was  impossible  to  tell  whither  to  go — 
where  they  would  find  themselves  again  within  firing  distance  of 
the  receding  target.  Viewed  in  its  larger  aspect,  the  German 
Halloween  rout  never  stopped  until  the  signing  by  them  of  a 
certain  epoch-marking  document  on  June  28,  1919. 


204  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

As  an  inevitable  sequel  to  this  our  second  great  drive,  on  All 
Saints  Day  the  regimental  wireless  began  to  pick  up  messages  to 
the  Eiffel  Tower — messages  from  the  enemy,  asking  for  peace. 

This  page-form  is  "locked  up"  on  Jan.  10,  1920,  just  as  two 
events  occur.  The  Treaty  of  Versailles  becomes  operative  and  the 
League  of  Nations  comes  into  existence  by  exchange  of  ratifica- 
tions between  the  former  enemies — with  the  United  States  tem- 
porarily self -excluded.  And  Col.  Frederick  Palmer's  valuable 
book,  ''America's  Greatest  Battle,"  issues  from  the  press. 

Col.  Palmer  describes  the  Meuse-Argonne  struggle  as  consisting 
of  three  attacks  (Oct.  4,  9  and  14)  in  between  the  two  great  drives. 
We  have  seen  how  our  1st  and  3d  Battalions  bore  an  important 
part  on  Oct.  4.  Our  2d  Batl.  in  the  Ravin  de  Lai  Fuon  had  an 
equally  great  share  in  the  Oct.  9  assault;  their  counter-battery 
firing  northwest  of  Fleville  and  their  interdiction  fire  upon  the 
roads  running  east  and  north  from  "Laundry  St.  George"  were 
a  much  needed  aid  to  the  1st  Division  while  the  latter  were  engaged 
in  their  costly  effort  to  gain  the  trough  of  the  Aire  Valley.  On 
Oct.  14  we  helped  the  32d  and  42d  Divisions  to  take  their  hardest- 
won  prizes,  the  "monstrous  C6te  de  Chdtillon"  and  Hill  288, 
and  wipe  out  the  Kriemhilde  Stellung  west  of  Romagne,  so  that 
twelve  days  later  our  2d  Batl.  were  able  to  advance  their  guns  and 
take  position  upon  the  very  ground  thus  won. 


Tractor  and  G.  P.  F.  of  Bat.  A  Ready  for  the  Move  from  Gesnes  to  Sedan 


B  AT  Gesnes,  Ready  to  Move  to  Sedan 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Armistice 

AS  THE  battle-front  receded  toward  the  north  and  east, 
Epinonville  and  Gesnes  were  Hberated  from  most  of  war's 
-  terrors;  but  life  there  did  not  immediately  lose  all  its 
excitement.  ''Jerry  the  Bomber"  continued  his  nocturnal  visits 
until  Nov.  9;  traffic  congestion  was  increased  rather  than  dimin- 
ished when  the  supply-hnes  became  stretched  to  greater  length; 
the  prohibition  of  lights  continued,  and  travel  was  dangerous; 
and  unexploded  shells  and  grenades  were  scattered  everywhere, 
to  the  imminent  peril  of  anyone  moving  along  the  roads  or  thru 
the  fields. 

The  Chaplain  was  stopped  by  a  traffic-blockade,  as  he  was  going 
to  Romagne  for  church  services  on  Nov.  3,  and  upon  investigating 
ascertained  that  a  serious  accident  had  happened  in  the  darkness 
of  the  preceding  night.  A  truck,  belonging  to  the  56th  Arty.,  ac- 
cidentally deviated  a  little  toward  the  gutter,  and  ran  squarely 
into  a  pile  of  grenades,  which  were  lying  there;  the  resulting 
explosion  killed  three  men  and  destroyed  two  trucks  and  an  am- 
bulance; the  bodies  lay  by  the  roadside.  Because  of  the  unex- 
ploded grenades  scattered  on  the  surface  of  the  highway,  traffic 
was  temporarily  held  up  by  the  M.  P.'s.  At  the  request  of  the 
M.  P.  in  charge,  the  Chaplain  assumed  responsibility  for  the  buri- 
als, and  himself  started  digging  a  large  grave,  using  such  spade  and 
mattock  as  he  could  salvage  in  the  vicinity.  Volunteer  helpers 
joined  in  the  task.  Inquiry  revealed  that  two  of  the  dead  were 
members  of  the  56th  Arty,  and  the  third  belonged  to  the  1st 
Trench  Mortar  Battalion;  two  were  CathoHcs  and  the  third  a 
Hebrew.  At  the  last  minute  a  Catholic  Chaplain  connected  with 
the  89th  Division  happened  along,  and  consecrated  the  ground 
in  which  the  interment  was  about  to  take  place.  Then  with  a 
simple  but  solemn  religious  service,  the  three  were  laid  to  rest — 
the  two  soldiers  of  the  56th,  who  had  been  life-long  chums  and  who, 
"in  their  death,  were  not  divided,"  and  the  comrade  who  was  a 
complete  stranger  to  them,  the  Catholics  and  Hebrew  side  by  side 
in  the  same  grave. 

By  chance  the  Paymaster  and  the  Chaplain  reached  the  2d 
Batl.  at  the  same  time  that  Sunday  afternoon.    An  arrangement 


206  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

was  made  by  which  the  two  officers  alternated  in  meeting  the 
batteries,  and  rehgion  cooperated  amicably  with  finance;  it  had 
been  feared  that  the  men  would  be  so  occupied  with  their  *'pay" 
that  they  would  have  no  energy  left  for  worship,  but  the  anticipa- 
tion was  groundless — practically  everyone  attended  both  gather- 
ings. 

Gesnes  had  been  an  important  rest  area  for  the  German  army, 
and  was  splendidly  equipped  to  meet  the  men's  need;  for  one  thing, 
a  complete  **Bad"  had  been  constructed,  with  showers,  tubs,  a 
delousing  plant  and  a  large  steam-boiler,  while  water  was  brought 
from  a  reservoir  on  the  neighboring  hill.  How  good  it  seemed  to 
have  a  real  bath  and  to  feel  clean,  after  weeks  and  weeks  of  dirt 
and  vermin!  The  entire  regiment  enjoyed  the  luxury,  visiting 
the  town,  a  battery  at  a  time.  On  Nov.  4  the  Americans  were  also 
cheered  by  the  sound  of  an  American  locomotive  whistle  on  the 
newly  repaired  line  at  Grand  Pr4.  The  same  day  brought  the 
good  tidings  of  Austria's  surrender. 

A  few  of  the  officers  and  men  had  oportunity  on  Nov.  5  to  visit 
Verdun  and  inspect  the  bloodiest  battle-field  of  the  war;  when,  two 
or  three  days  later,  Sedan  was  captured,  another  highly  interesting 
spot  was  made  available  for  pilgrimage,  by  those  who  could  find 
leisure. 

On  Nov.  6  the  regimental  wireless  intercepted  a  message  to  the 
effect  that  German  peace  delegates  had  left  Berlin  for  Paris;  the 
French  correctly  interpreted  this  move  as  an  indication  of  surrender, 
and  on  Nov.  7,  along  the  entire  front,  indulged  in  a  grand  jubilation, 
with  rockets  and  cheers  and  song.  Of  course  the  Yanks  followed 
the  French  lead,  and  added  their  full  proportion  to  the  uproar  and 
glad  feeling.  This  celebration  spread  to  the  United  States,  and 
at  least  in  New  York  and  Massachusetts  led  to  a  demonstration 
which  was  afterwards  regarded  as  premature  and  mistaken;  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  French  judgment  did  not  err  in  recognizing  the 
appearance  of  German  envoys  as  a  proof  of  Allied  victory;  and 
sufficient  reason  existed  for  the  rejoicing.  Along  the  5th  Corps 
front  the  Army  expended  so  much  energy  celebrating  on  Nov.  7 
that  they  did  not  have  much  left  for  greeting  the  actual  armistice 
on  Nov.  11. 

For  the  3d  Batl.  the  war  had  by  no  means  ended,  in  spite  of  all 
the  noise  and  fireworks.  On  Nov.  5  and  6  they  engaged  in  the 
longest  continuous  road  march  of  their  entire  history,  journeying 


The  Armistice  207 

all  the  way  to  Beaufort  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Department  of 
the  Meuse,  twenty-two  miles  distant,  for  the  purpose  of  once  more 
coming  within  range  of  the  foe.  Upon  arrival,  they  could  find  no 
suitable  artillery  positions,  and  had  to  unlimber  the  guns  amidst 
a  dense  fog  and  commence  firing  right  out  in  the  open  field.  Bat. 
E  actually  being  silhouetted  against  the  sky;  but  they  were  within 
five  short  miles  of  the  Lille-Metz  Stellung,  and  could  inflict  vast 
damage  upon  the  enemy.  More  important  still,  they  had  the 
Metz-M^zieres  railroad  under  interdiction  fire  at  Lamouilly  and 
prevented  the  Germans  from  using  it — they  helped  to  cut  the 
enemy  line  of  supply  and  of  retreat.  Three  batteries  of  the  57th 
Arty,  accompanied  the  3d  Batl.  of  the  55th  in  this  move. 

If  we  may  revert  to  our  simile  employed  in  a  previous  chapter — 
when  these  guns  opened  fire  at  Beaufort,  "  the  bottle  was 
corked. '' 

Beaufort  was  a  dangerous  place,  even  tho  the  enemy  were 
demoralized.  Shells  searched  the  buildings  of  the  village  and 
wrought  much  damage,  besides  causing  many  narrow  escapes 
amongst  those  not  actually  hit.  One  shell  exploded  inside  a  house 
which  Bat.  F  were  using  as  a  billet,  and  broke  up  a  sociable  card- 
party;  another  penetrated  the  chimney  of  the  wash-room,  and 
drove  the  men  out  to  the  street  with  faces  lathered  and  partly 
shaved,  in  all  stages  of  undress.  More  tragic  in  its  results  was  the 
shelling  of  a  neighboring  battalion  of  field  artillery;  two  successive 
shells  landed  inside  the  barn  which  the  men  were  using  as  a  mess- 
shack,  and  killed  nine  unfortunates.  Pvt.  Euplio  Cerrone  of  Bat. 
F  was  mortally  wounded  on  Nov.  8,  and  died  two  days  later — 
our  only  casualty  at  Beaufort. 

Congratulations  and  citations  came  to  the  American  Army 
as  a  result  of  the  November  battle;  one  of  the  finest  tributes 
was  paid  in  the  London  "Morning  Post.^'  The  erudite  British 
journalist  invented  a  new  simile,  by  which  to  describe  the  impor- 
tance of  the  American  drive  along  the  Meuse;  recalling  his  reading 
of  the  Iliad  and  talking  the  language  of  Homer,  he  described  the 
German  line  at  that  point:  "There  is  the  heel  of  the  German 
Achilles.  There  his  sinews  and  tendons,  the  direct  communication 
with  his  home  bases,  come,  as  it  were,  to  the  surface  and  are  liable 
at  a  blow  to  be  severed."  No  wonder  he  conceded  that  the  Yanks, 
in  mastering  this  line,  had  won  "a  signal  victory." 

General  Liggett 's  order  came  first: 


208  The  Fifiy-fifth  Artillery 

"Headquarters  1st  Army, 
"American  E.  F.,  France 
"G.  O.  No.  31,  5  November  1918. 

"On  November  first,  after  constant  fighting  for  over  one  month, 
the  First  American  Army  launched  an  attack  against  the  German 
Army  which  had  established  itself  for  determined  resistance.  In 
five  days  it  had  penetrated  twenty-five  kilometers  and  had  driven 
the  enemy  in  retreat  before  it.  Its  brilliant  success,  in  connection 
with  the  advance  of  the  Fourth  French  Army  on  its  left,  forced 
the  Germans  to  retreat  on  a  broad  front  to  the  west. 

"  It  has  fought  and  marched  and  endured  the  rigors  of  campaign 
with  the  most  superb  indifference  to  everything  except  the  deter- 
mination to  go  forward  and  imprint  upon  the  enemy  the  marks  of 
its  courage  and  resolution. 

"All  arms  and  services,  those  in  advance  who  smashed  the  way, 
those  in  the  air  who  rendered  aggressive  and  efficient  service, 
and  those  in  rear  who  by  their  untiring  industry  made  possible 
the  continued  advance,  are  worthy  of  the  highest  praise  and  the 
gratitude  of  their  admiring  country. 

"The  Army  Commander  is  proud  of  such  an  army,  thanks  it  for 
the  splendid  results  already  achieved,  and  looks  with  confidence 
to  the  still  greater  successes  that  lie  before  it. 
"By  Command  of  Lieutenant  General  Liggett: 
"Official:  "H.  A.  Drum, 

''Chief  of  Staff. 
"H.  K.  Loughry, 
"Adjutant  General. 

"  HQ,  Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,  American  E.  F.,  France,  8 
November,  1918. 

"  1.     For  your  information. 

"By  Command  of  Major  General  McGlachlin: 

"H.  W.  Stovall, 
"Major,  CAC, 
"Adjutant.'' 

Marshal  Foch  sent  his  congratulations  next: 

"Headquarters  1st  Army,  American  E.  F.,  France 
"G.  0.  No.  32,  6  November,  1918. 

"It  is  with  much  pride  that  the  Army  Commander  publishes 
the  following  telegram  received  by  the  Commander-in-Chief  from 


The  Armistice  209 

Marshal  Foch,  and  the  accompanying  expression  of  gratification 
from  the  Commander-in-Chief: 

"'Operations  begun  November  1,  by  the  First  American  Army 
have  already  assured,  thanks  to  the  valor  of  the  High  Command 
and  to  the  energy  and  bravery  of  the  troops,  results  of  the  greatest 
importance.  I  am  happy  to  send  to  you  my  warmest  congratula- 
tions on  the  success  of  these  operations/ 

(Foch) 
"By  Command  of  Lieutenant  General  Liggett: 

"H.  A.  Drum, 
"Official:  "Chief  of  Staff. 

"H.  K.  Loughry, 
"Adjutant  General. 
"HQ,  Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,  Am.  E.  F.,  France,  8  November, 
1918. 

"1.     For  your  information. 

"By  Command  of  Major  General  McGlachlin 

"H.  W.  Stovall 
"Major,  CAC, 
"Adjutant.'^ 
The  foregoing  applied  to  the  entire  1st  Army.     Gen.  Liggett 
next  expressed  particular  appreciation  to  the  Army  Artillery, 
1st  Army. 

"  Headquarters,  Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,  American  E.  F. 

"France.     8  November,  1918. 
"G.  0.  No.  22. 

"1.  The  Commanding  General,  Army  Artillery,  publishes  with 
great  satisfaction  the  following  letter  from  the  Commanding 
General  of  the  Army — 

"'The  Army  Commander  desires  me  to  express  to  you  and 
the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Army  Artillery  of  the  1st  Army  his 
full  appreciation  of  the  excellent  work  they  have  done  in  our 
recent  operations. 

"'In  this  connection,  he  realizes  the  great  assistance  that  has 

been  rendered  the  advance  elements  by  the  accurate  and  powerful 

support  which  your  command  has  given  to  the  operation.     The 

Army  Commander  feels  that  the  work  of  the  Army  Artillery  in 

our  attack  of  November  1st  was  especially  efficient  and  one  of 

the  main  factors  in  opening  the  way  for  our  infantry  to  break  thru 

the  enemy's  lines. 
14 


210  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

"'Will  you  please  see  that  the  contents  of  this  communication 
are  transmitted  to  all  organizations  of  your  command/ 

"2.  The  Commanding  General,  Army  Artillery,  extends  to  the 
officers  and  men  of  his  command  assurance  of  his  heartfelt  ap- 
preciation of  their  devotion  to  duty  and  of  their  always  willing 
and  prompt  support.     He  offers  to  them  his  grateful  thanks. 

"3.  This  order  will  be  published  to  all  batteries  and  similar 
units  at  a  formal  muster. 

"By  command  of  Major  General  McGlachlin: 

"JohnW.  Gulick, 
"Colonel,  G.  S.,  Chief  of  Staff. 
"Official: 
"H.  W.  Stovall, 
"Major,  CAC,  Adjutant.'' 

Because  the  31st  Brigade  was  temporarily  serving  under  the  5th 
Corps,  they  received  an  additional  letter  of  thanks: 

"Headquarters,  31st  Heavy  Artillery  Brigade, 

"9  November,  1918. 
"G.  0.  No.  32. 

"1.  The  Brigade  Commander  takes  just  pride  in  publishing 
letters  to  the  Command.  He  desires  that  each  officer  and  enlisted 
man  be  apprized  of  the  contents  of  these  letters  as  soon  as  prac- 
ticable : 

"'Headquarters  5th  Army  Corps,  Am.  E.  F.,  9th  November, 
1918. 

"'From:  The  Chief  of  Artillery,  5th  Army  Corps, 
"'To:  Gen.  W.  C.  Davis,  Commanding  31st  Brigade  Heavy  Artil- 
lery. 
" '  Subject :  Commendation. 

" '  I  transmit  herewith,  letters  of  commendation  from  the  Corps 
Commander  regarding  the  action  of  the  Artillery  in  the  operation 
of  November  1st. 

"'In  transmitting  this  letter  I  desire  to  add  my  own  thanks 
and  appreciation  to  you  and  to  the  officers  and  men  of  your  Brigade 
for  the  hearty  cooperation  that  has  resulted  in  such  brilliant  success. 

" '  To  have  enabled  our  Infantry  to  advance  in  one  day  over  a  dis- 
tance of  9  kilometers  with  small  loss,  capturing  over  100  guns,  200 
machine-guns,  and  more  than  2,000  prisoners,  is  an  achievement 


The  Armistice  211 

of  which  the  Artillery  may  well  be  proud,  and  I  congratulate  your 
entire  command  on  having  so  well  performed  its  share  in  the 
operation. 

'*  *  I  desire  that  the  contents  of  the  letter  of  the  Corps  Commander 
be  made  known  to  the  officers  and  men  of  your  command,  as  well 
as  my  own  appreciation  of  their  splendid  conduct. 

"'Dwight  E.  Aultman, 

"'Brigadier  General, 

"'Chief  of  Artillery,  5th  Corps.' 

"'lend. 

"'Headquarters  5th  Army  Corps,    Amer.    Ex.    F.,  France,  2 

November,  1918. 

"'From:  Commanding  General,  V  Army  Corps. 

"'To:  Brigadier  General  D.  E.  Aultman,    Chief  of   Artillery,  V 

Army  Corps. 

"'Subject:  Commendation. 

"'I  desire  to  convey  to  you  and  to  the  Officers  and  Soldiers 
of  all  Artillery  serving  in  this  Corps,  my  profound  appreciation 
and  my  high  admiration  of  the  brilliant  manner  in  which  the 
Artillery  of  all  classes  has  performed  the  difficult  tasks  allotted  to 
it,   especially   during  the   advance   on  November  first. 

"'Altho  the  Artillery  has  been  constantly  in  action  day  and 
night,  sustaining  the  battle  since  the  beginning  of  the  present 
offensive,  it  has  responded  with  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  duty 
and  a  superb  efiiciency  that  is  beyond  all  praise.  While  our  daunt- 
less Infantry  have  advanced  against  the  enemy's  prepared  positions 
with  a  courage  that  elicits  our  greatest  admiration,  it  must  be 
recognized  that  without  the  powerful  and  skilful  cooperation  of  the 
Artillery,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  accomplish  the  results  which 
they  have  so  brilliantly  achieved. 

"'The  tremendous  volume  of  fire,  the  skilful  arrangement  of  all 
objectives,  and  the  perfect  coordination  with  the  Infantry  and 
machine-guns,  have  made  the  action  of  November  first  a  model 
of  completeness,  and  it  must  stand  as  a  tribute  to  the  able  ad- 
ministrative officers  who  conceived  the  plans,  and  to  the  technical 
ability  and  the  fidelity  to  duty  of  those  who  executed  them. 

"'I  beg  that  you  will  convey  to  the  Officers  and  Soldiers  of  all 
units  of  Artillery,  the  foregoing  sentiments,  and  will  assure  them 


212  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

of  my  abiding  wishes  for  their  continued  success  in  the  campaigns 
that  lie  before  them. 

"'(signed)  C.  P.  Summerall 

"'Major  General,  Commanding.' 
"By  Command  of  Brigadier  General  Davis: 

"R.  S.  Stewart, 
"Captain  CAC, 
"Adjutant." 

Church  services  were  held  on  Nov.  10  for  the  1st  Batl.  at  Gesnes 
under  conditions  different  from  any  previously  prevailing;  the  men 
assembled  in  the  ruined  church  of  the  town,  whose  walls  showed 
great  gaps  and  whose  roof  was,  in  large  degree,  gone  and  upon 
whose  floor  a  company  of  Americans  were  trying  to  warm  them- 
selves about  a  camp-fire;  the  worshipers  brushed  aside  the  obstruc- 
tions and  made  the  room  look  more  as  it  had  appeared  before  war 
came;  they  sang  their  well-loved  hymns;  listened  to  a  sermon; 
and  presenting  themselves  before  the  shattered  altar,  they  received 
from  the  Chaplain  the  elements  of  Holy  Communion. 

It  was  evident  on  Nov.  10  that  the  end  must  come  within  a 
few  hours;  the  2d  and  89th  Divisions  had  forced  their  way  across 
the  Meuse,  and  German  resistance  could  not  possibly  continue. 
A  few  days  previously  the  Americans  had  looked  for  a  stubborn 
contest  to  the  bitter  end  on  the  part  of  their  enemy — the  foe  still 
possessed  considerable  ability  to  inflict  damage,  even  in  defeat; 
but  it  was  developing  that  the  German  conception  of  warfare 
was  purely  commercial,  and  that,  as  soon  as  they  found  it  a  losing 
venture,  they  would  stop  fighting.  On  the  evening  of  Nov.  10, 
the  regiment  went  to  bed  knowing  that  Marshal  Foch  had  set,  as 
his  time  limit  for  accepting  his  terms,  5  o^clock  the  following 
morning;  and  every  man  fully  expected  that  the  terms  were  going 
to  be  accepted. 

Watches  indicated  5.40  a.  m.,  when  the  regimental  wireless  in- 
tercepted the  message  that  the  armistice  was  signed;  and  by  5.50 
everyone  in  the  55th  had  heard  the  tidings.  Sgt.  Arnold  A.  Robert 
proclaimed  the  news  at  regimental  Headquarters,  saying,  "This 
is  the  big  news,"  and  then  read  the  radiogram.  At  one  of  the 
battalion  Headquarters  the  following  preface  was  used,  "The 
Germans  have  spoiled  one  of  the  finest  wars  ever  fought,  by  quit- 
ting." All  thru  the  regiment,  the  immediate  effect  was,  that  men 
turned  over  and  engaged  in  the  soundest  sleep  of  the  whole  night. 


The  Armistice  213 

By  reason  of  over  three  months^  fighting  service,  the  55th 
qualified  for  the  Victory  Medal  issued  by  the  French. 

Later  on  the  morning  of  Nov.  11  the  Chaplain  went  from  Epinon- 
ville  to  Gesnes  for  the  purpose  of  serving  as  counsel  at  a  special 
court,  and  along  the  road  had  opportunity  of  passing  on  the  glad 
news  to  infantry  and  engineer  units,  which  possessed  no  wireless 
equipment.  Some  men  were  sceptical,  and  found  the  announcement 
hard  to  believe;  others,  like  the  55th,  had  discounted  it  and  gave 
ready  credence. 

During  the  day  the  regiment  fired  their  last  gun,  at  Beaufort; 
and  a  controversy  sprang  up  as  to  whether  the  honor  belonged  to 
Bat.  E  or  Bat.  F.  In  Bat.  E  the  "Ella  C  was  the  final  gun  to 
fire,  and  in  Bat.  F  the  ''Alky"  had  that  distinction;  all  agreed 
that  10.42  A.  M.  was  the  hour  when  firing  ceased.  But  Capt. 
Shaffer  asserted  that  he  heard  the  "Cease  firing"  order  go  to 
Bat.  F  before  it  came  to  his  own  command,  and  that  the  order 
was  obeyed,  while  Lt.  Vickers  made  assertions  precisely  con- 
tradictory to  Capt.  Shaffer's.  Maj.  Nestor  declared  himself  on 
the  side  of  Bat.  F.  Bat.  F's  target  was  a  cross-roads  (interdiction 
fire)  at  the  entrance  of  the  town  of  Malandry,  behind  the  German 
lines.  Certainly  both  batteries  continued  firing  until  the  last 
practicable  minute. 

The  armistice  became  effective  at  11  a.  m.  on  Nov.  11.  Germany 
had  surrendered. 

When  statistics  were  compiled,  it  was  found  that  the  regiment 
fired  32,678  rounds  during  the  war.  Bat.  B  stood  at  the  head  of  the 
list,  with  7,170  rounds  to  their  credit.  The  "Allie"  of  Bat.  A  met 
with  its  disabling  accident  when  sending  forth  its  1,001st  projectile. 
If  the  "Ella  G"  had  the  "last  word,"  it  was  the  1,400th  time  the 
gun  spoke;  if  the  "Alky"  fired  last,  the  discharge  was  the  1,337th 
in  the  gun's  history.  The  "Floss"  of  Bat.  A  set  the  high  mark  for 
the  regiment,  by  firing  2,011  shots.  Altho  subsequent  inspection 
or  photographic  records  showed  that  the  regiment's  shooting  was 
marvelously  accurate  and  effective,  it  was  a  fact  that  very  few 
shots  had  the  advantage  of  direct  observation  at  the  time  they 
were  fired;  for  instance,  of  the  5,792  rounds  fired  by  Bat.  E, 
exactly  32  were  observed.  Our  shooting  was  almost  wholly  de- 
pendent upon  the  map  and  mathematics  for  its  success;  and  we 
kept  at  it  without  positively  knowing  whether  we  were  hitting  or 
not — later,  we  found  that  the  computations  were  correct. 


214  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

With  the  war  ended,  precautions  were  discontinued.  Lights  were 
permitted  on  autos  and  trucks,  camp-fires  blazed,  and  men  burned 
all  the  flares  and  other  fireworks  that  they  could  lay  hands  on — 
every  night  was  a  Fourth  of  July  during  the  first  week.  Bugle-calls 
were  resumed,  without  occasioning  any  overwhelming  delight  in 
the  hearts  of  the  men;  band-concerts  likewise  became  the  order 
of  the  day,  and  these  afforded  much  more  satisfaction  to  all.  Cen- 
sorship restrictions  were  relaxed — all  excepting  the  prohibition  of 
fault-finding  and  the  announcing  of  casualties.  But  the  most  im- 
mediate and  universal  consequence  of  the  armistice  was — each 
man  wakened  up  the  morning  after  to  say  to  his  buddy,  ''You 
can't  guess  what  I  dreamed  about  last  night'';  and  the  answer 
came  straight,  "Huh!  You  dreamed  about  home.  So  did  I."  And 
they  kept  repeating  that  dream  until  the  following  February, 
when  they  finally  arrived  home.  For  the  55th,  as  for  the  entire 
Army,  interest  in  the  war  ceased  on  Nov.  11. 

On  the  day  following  the  armistice,  the  regiment  had  only  56 
ofl&cers  and  1,478  men  present  and  95  men  absent;  but  a  large 
replacement  draft  arrived  on  Nov.  13,  raising  the  figure  for  the 
enlisted  men  present  to  1,557.  These  replacements  came  directly 
from  Boston  Harbor,  and  they  brought  considerable  interesting 
news  along  with  them. 

On  Nov.  12  Marshal  Foch  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  Allied 
Armies : 

"Allied  Grand  Headquarters, 
"November  12,  1918. 

"Officers,  Non-Commissioned  Officers  and  Soldiers  of  the  Allied 
Armies : — 

"After  having  resolutely  checked  the  enemy,  you  have  for 
months,  without  pause,  attacked  him  with  unfaltering  faith  and 
energy. 

"You  have  won  the  greatest  battle  in  history  and  saved  the  most 
sacred  of  causes — the  Liberty  of  the  world. 

"Be  proud! 

"You  have  attached  immortal  glory  to  your  standards. 

"  Posterity  will  hold  you  in  gratitude. 

"Marshal  of  France, 
"Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Allied  Armies, 

"Foch." 


The  Armistice  215 

Gen.  Pershing,  on  the  same  date,  added  his  message  of  thanks; 
and  coupled  with  it  an  exhortation  to  "keep  it  up": 

"The  enemy  has  capitulated.  It  is  fitting  that  I  address  myself 
in  thanks  directly  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  American 
Expeditionary  Forces  who  by  their  heroic  efforts  have  made 
possible  this  glorious  result. 

"Our  armies,  hurriedly  raised  and  hastily  trained,  met  a  veteran 
enemy,  and  by  courage,  discipline  and  skill  always  defeated  him. 
Without  complaint  you  have  endured  incessant  trials,  privations 
and  dangers.  You  have  seen  many  of  your  comrades  make  the 
supreme  sacrifice  that  Freedom  may  live. 

"I  thank  you  for  the  patience  and  courage  with  which  you  have 
endured.  I  congratulate  you  upon  the  splendid  fruits  of  victory 
which  your  heroism  and  the  blood  of  our  gallant  dead  are  now  pre- 
senting to  our  nation.  Your  deeds  will  live  for  ever  on  the  most 
glorious  pages  of  America's  history. 

"  Those  things  you  have  done.  There  remains  now  a  harder  task, 
which  will  test  your  soldierly  qualities  to  the  utmost.  Succeed  in 
this  and  little  note  will  be  taken  and  few  praises  will  be  sung;  fail, 
and  the  light  of  your  glorious  achievements  of  the  past  will  sadly 
be  dimmed. 

"But  you  will  not  fail.  Every  natural  tendency  may  urge 
towards  relaxation  in  discipline,  in  conduct,  in  appearance,  in 
everything  that  marks  the  soldier.  Yet  you  will  remember  that  each 
officer  and  each  soldier  is  the  representative  in  Europe  of  his  people 
and  that  his  brilliant  deeds  of  yesterday  permit  no  action  of  to-day 
to  pass  unnoticed  by  friend  or  by  foe. 

"You  will  meet  this  test  as  gallantly  as  you  have  met  the  tests  of 
the  battlefield.  Sustained  by  your  high  ideals  and  inspired  by  the 
heroic  part  you  have  played,  you  will  carry  back  to  our  people 
the  proud  consciousness  of  a  new  Americanism  born  of  sacrifice. 

"Whether  you  stand  on  hostile  territory  or  on  the  free  soil  of 
France,  you  will  so  bear  yourself  in  discipline,  appearance  and 
respect  for  all  civil  rights  that  you  will  confirm  for  all  time  the  pride 
and  love  which  every  American  feels  for  your  uniform  and  for  you. 

"John  J.  Pershing, 
"General,  Commander-in-Chief." 

Majors  Smith  and  Nestor  issued  letters  of  commendation  to 
their  respective  battalions  on  Nov.  13.    Maj.  Smith  said,  in  part: 

"I  fully  realize  and  know  under  what  conditions  officers  and 


216  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

men  have  labored  and  have  noted  your  devotion  to  duty  on  many 
occasions,  and  I  cannot  at  this  time  find  the  proper  words  of 
appreciation. 

"In  the  meantime  we  must  not  forget  that  we  are  still  soldiers 
and  that  we  must  continue  our  work  as  such  by  drill  and  such  other 
exercises  as  are  necessary  to  keep  our  minds  and  bodies  clean  and 
pure,  so  as  to  prove  to  our  people  at  home  that  we  can  leave  their 
influence  and  continue  to  live  up  to  our  teachings  of  right  and 
wrong  that  we  received  at  our  mother's  knee.'' 

New  problems  came  with  the  armistice.  Germans  began  to  pass 
thru  the  American  lines  in  search  for  their  dead.  Others  visited  us 
in  the  hope  that  they  might  be  taken  prisoners,  and  thus  be  enabled 
to  enjoy  the  "fleshpots"  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces; 
these  had  to  be  led  gently  back  to  their  proper  posts  of  duty.  Many 
came  merely  for  social  visits,  or  to  exchange  their  helmets  or  other 
souvenirs  for  good  American  sugar  and  tobacco.  Liberated  French, 
British  and  American  prisoners  of  war  staggered  southward  thru 
the  lines — for  the  most  part  showing  abundant  evidence  of  in- 
sufiicient  nutrition  and  bad  treatment.  The  civilian  population 
of  the  former  occupied  region  had  been  driven  into  Germany  before 
our  retreating  foe;  now  they  began  coming  back  home,  and  as 
they  traveled  they  met  another  stream  of  French  refugees  moving 
northward — men  and  women  who  had  escaped  France-ward  before 
the  German  invasion.  These  poor  people  journeyed  on  foot,  and 
often  pushed  all  their  worldly  goods  before  them  on  frail  hand- 
carts; occasionally  a  cow  or  a  goat  would  accompany  the  pro- 
cession. An  elderly  man  and  two  women  applied  at  the  Head- 
quarters kitchen  of  the  55th  one  evening  for  something  to  eat  and, 
after  supper,  retired  to  rest  in  one  of  the  shacks  which  the  regiment 
had  been  using;  the  next  morning  the  three  French  people  appeared 
with  pick  and  shovel,  and  began  to  dig  in  close  proximity  to  the 
very  kitchen  where  they  had  recently  eaten.  Presently  the  pick 
struck  some  hard  object;  and  after  a  few  minutes  more  the  old  man 
uncovered,  and  lifted  from  the  earth,  a  heavy  iron  kettle,  in  which 
were  many  papers  and  considerable  money  and  jewels.  How  the 
Americans  cheered  the  old  man,  and  congratulated  him;  and  how 
they  expressed  surprize  over  the  treasure  which  had  lain  beneath 
their  feet  during  meal  hours,  thru  the  preceding  three  weeks.  The 
old  man  had  been  forced  to  flee  from  his  home  on  a  single  hour's  no- 
tice, when,  four  years  previously,  the  invader  came  southward. 


^1^ 


Battery  E 


5  SH 


Battery  E 


Battery  F 


Battery  F 


1  ii#i<ia<1iiiirli^^^^HW 

■■«^  T'^^;  .,j 

French  Peasants  RErovER  Buried  Treasure,  Epinonville 


The  German  Retreat 


HAKRICOrRT 


Champcourt. 


The  Armistice  217 

Now,  with  the  exception  of  some  papers  which  were  injured  by 
dampness,  he  recovered  all  of  his  valuables. 

More  than  most  other  events,  did  the  march  past  of  the  117th  En- 
gineer Regiment,  with  band  playing  and  colors  flying,  enable  the 
55th  to  realize  that  fighting  was  actually  over — this  happened 
three  days  after  the  armistice.  The  Engineers  were  on  their  way 
to  a  rest  area. 

On  Nov.  14  the  composition  of  the  "army  of  occupation"  (a 
new  3d  Army)  was  announced;  and  we  sympathized  with  our  com- 
rades of  the  1st,  2d,  32d,  42d  and  89th  Divisions  as  we  saw  their 
names  on  the  list,  and  realized  that  they  could  not  go  home — for 
a  while.  Everyone  realized  that  membership  in  the  3d  Army  was 
an  honor  and  that  it  was  accorded  upon  a  basis  of  merit;  yet  the 
honor  was  expensive  when  it  deprived  the  one  so  honored  of  his 
privilege  of  returning  to  "God's  country."  On  the  15th  the 
regiment  found  that  it  had  a  personal  interest  in  the  new  Army; 
that  day  we  had  to  give  up  all  the  best  of  our  regimental  transpor- 
tation, so  as  to  equip  properly  the  two  Army  Artillery  regiments 
which  were  to  march  into  Germany — the  146th  and  148th  F.  Arty, 
of  the  66th  Brigade.  We  congratulated  them,  but  we  did  not 
envy  them  their  distinction.  In  point  of  fact,  the  C.  A.  C.  Artillery 
were  placed  on  the  most  preferred  list  of  all,  and  were  sent  home 
first,  because  they  were  truly  needed  to  help  man  and  care  for  the 
coast  defenses — our  October  "rumor"  came  true  at  last.  On 
Nov.  17,  the  new  Army  started  northward  on  their  130  mile  march 
to  Coblenz ;  nights  were  cold  for  men  who  had  to  sleep  in  the  open, 
with  no  shelter  but  that  of  "pup-tents." 

Representatives  of  the  Graves  Registration  Service  made  a  hasty 
survey  of  the  battle-field  during  the  first  three  weeks  of  November, 
and  toured  the  then  silent  hills  and  devastated  woods  and  villages 
for  the  purpose  of  marking  and  recording  all  the  scattered  burial 
places.  Meanwhile  the  regiments  which  remained  on  the  ground 
cooperated  by  mounding  up  and  marking  such  graves  as  were  in 
their  vicinity.  Inquiry  revealed  the  fact  that  the  G.  R.  S.  survey 
had  been  superficial,  and  that  the  representatives  had  plotted  on  y 
four  of  the  twenty-four  graves  in  which  the  55th  were  interested; 
the  Chaplain  consequently  took  care  that  omissions  should  be 
corrected,  and  no  55th  grave  be  neglected. 

At.  Maj.  Smith's  request  a  thanksgiving  service  was  conducted 
for  the  2d  Batl.  near  Romagne,  on  Sunday  morning,  Nov.  17 — 


218  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

and  events  conspired  to  make  this  the  only  ''thanksgiving"  the 
regiment  was  to  have.  By  that  time  the  battalion  had  moved  out 
of  their  fox-holes  and  had  taken  possession  of  some  fine  German 
barracks — until  Nov.  11  the  enemy  fire  rendered  the  barracks 
untenable.  In  the  recreation  hall  stood  the  altar  before  which 
the  German  chaplains  had  been  wont  to  conduct  public  worship, 
in  the  days  before  America's  Army  appeared  to  disturb  the 
arrangements,  and  here  now  assembled  Batteries  C  and  D  in 
full  numbers.  There  was  nothing  notable  about  the  order  of 
exercises;  but  the  place  and  the  circumstances  rendered  the  day 
one  to  remember.  In  the  afternoon,  church  services  were  held 
at  Beaufort  for  the  3d  Batl. 

On  Sunday  evening  Bat.  F  took  advantage  of  the  presence  of  the 
Band  at  Beaufort  to  enjoy  an  entertainment  (musical  and  other- 
wise) at  their  billets.  All  went  well  at  first.  Presently,  however, 
the  audience  were  seized  with  paroxysms  of  sneezing;  and  even 
the  bandsmen  found  themselves  unable  to  play.  Whether  the 
uproar  had  stirred  up  an  old  deposit  of  enemy  sneeze-gas  in  the 
straw  of  the  loft,  or  whether  the  contents  of  some  pepper-box  had 
become  scattered  about  the  room,  no  one  definitely  knew — but 
the  entertainment  came  to  an  untimely  end. 

A  question  was  frequently  asked,  about  the  religion  of  the 
American  soldier.  There  is  danger  lest  a  generalization  be  merely 
a  reflection  of  one's  own  previous  opinions.  The  author  will  at- 
tempt to  let  the  soldier  speak  for  himself;  and  where  that  is  not 
possible,  he  will  be  guided  by  the  thought  of  the  Senior  Chaplain, 
Bishop  Charles  H.  Brent. 

The  soldiers  carried  within  them  a  fire,  kindled  by  the  cause  for 
which  they  fought.  They  were  in  France  not  for  vengeance  but 
for  emancipation;  not  for  themselves  only  but  for  others  equally; 
not  for  material  advantage  but  for  spiritual  gain;  not  for  the  local 
but  for  the  universal;  not  for  a  temporary  but  for  a  permanent 
cause.  As  to  conventional  morality,  "liquor"  'or  "failure  to  take 
the  prophylactic,"  all  such  temptation  was  removed  from  men  so 
long  as  they  continued  at  the  front — "wine  and  women"  did 
not  exist  within  ten  miles  of  the  American  fighting-line.  The  sins 
which  were  dangerous  to  the  soldier,  those  against  which  he  had  to 
guard,  were  cowardice,  selfishness,  stinginess,  bragging  and  im- 
patience; according  as  a  man  was,  or  was  not,  victor  over  these 
did  his  comrades  think  well  or  ill  of  him. 


The  Armistice  219 

Soldiers  were  offered  ** Browning  for  the  trenches,"  and  "Chris- 
tian Science,"  besides  all  the  more  customary  varieties  of  religious 
uplift ;  and  they  appreciated  all.  But  the  organization  which  made 
the  greatest  hit  was  the  welfare  group  who  were  represented  by 
brave,  smiling  men  and  lassies,  and  whose  direct  output  consisted 
of  pie  and  doughnuts;  this  was  a  "gospel"  readily  understood. 
Profanity,  vulgarity  and  minor  gambling  prevailed  all  too  widely, 
as  they  have  thriven  in  every  army;  but  they  were  not  sins  of  the 
heart — they  sprang  from  the  inhuman  conditions  of  a  battle-field. 
The  soldiers  of  America  were  self-respecting  and  well  behaved;  and 
they  were  proud  of  themselves.  When  the  drive  was  on  in  the 
United  States  for  a  vast  fund  to  maintain  all  the  welfare  organiza- 
tions, the  soldiers  expressed  warm  appreciation.  "It  means,"  they 
said,  "new  shelters  and  new  stages  for  Elsie  Janis  and  those  who 
are  to  follow  in  her  fancy  steps.  It  means  movies  and  music,  huts 
and  hospitality,  chocolate  and  cheer.  We  most  devoutly  hope, 
however,  that  no  old  ladies  of  either  sex  will  be  beguiled  into 
contributing  a  single  centime  to  that  fund  in  the  delusion  that, 
without  it,  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  would  relapse  into 
a  riotous  group  of  venereal  drunkards." 

There  was  an  A.  E.  F.  theology.  It  was  the  belief  that  a  man  who, 
with  a  gun  in  his  hand  and  a  smile  on  his  face,  took  his  chance  in 
the  battle-line,  who  faced  death  for  the  principles  for  which  the  war 
was  fought,  was  working  out  his  own  salvation. 

"Greater  respect  for,  or  quicker  appreciation  of  chivalry,  honor, 
clean-living  and  loyalty  could  not  well  have  been.  The  American 
soldier  was  contemptuous  of  what  he  expressively  called  ^sob 
stuff' ;  he  spotted  unreality  and  sham  wherever  it  showed  its  head, 
and  he  reverenced  religion,  even  when  he  fell  short  of  professing  it. 
He  was  shy  of  uplift  efforts  imposed  upon  him  from  above;  he 
loathed  a  sugar-coated  religious  pill  and  any  other  traps  that  aimed 
to  land  him  in  the  church's  lap.  But  he  welcomed  every  honest 
presentation  of  realities  at  the  hands  of  spiritual  leaders  who  were 
square  in  their  methods  and  shared  the  common  lot  of  the  soldier." 

He  gained  a  larger  vision.  He  learned  swift  obedience,  and  an 
adherence  to  duty  that  scorned  danger  and  never  knew  defeat. 
He  learned  brotherhood  in  the  trenches.  Discipline  and  team-work 
gained  meaning  from  the  massed  effort  which  spelled  success  for 
the  Army.  He  became  accustomed  to  contemplating  the  Supreme 
Sacrifice,  and  he  was  loyal  to  those  who  are  forever  overseas  and  to 


220  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

the  cause  for  which  they  paid  "the  last,  full  measure  of  devotion." 
As  the  American  soldier  was  in  France,  so  he  was  when  he 
returned  home;  his  clear,  unflinching  gaze  was  his  profession  of 
faith,  and  his  manly,  purposeful  face  served  as  his  certificate  of 
character.  One  other  fact  was  to  be  noted — the  soldier  came  home 
more  mature  than  he  was  at  the  inception  of  his  military  life;  this 
was  the  outstanding  religious  result  of  his  army  life.  He  was  ready 
to  settle  down  and  be  domestic;  for  him  the  "wild"  had  lost  its 
"lure."  Not  only  was  he  one  year  older,  as  would  have  been 
natural;  he  had  matured  manifold  faster  than  at  the  normal  rate — 
he  returned  to  his  loved  ones  at  least  five  years  more  balanced  and 
developed,  after  ten  short  months  of  active  duty  in  war. 

An  indication  of  how  severely  the  55th's  thirteen  weeks  of  con- 
tinuous battle  taxed  their  strength  appeared  in  the  number  of 
replacements  needed  in  order  to  keep  up  the  regimental  numbers; 
while  the  authorized  strength  was  71  officers  and  1,716  enlisted 
men,  the  roster  revealed  the  names  of  144  ojficers  and  2,068  men 
actually  members  of  the  command  at  some  time  during  its  fifteen- 
month  long  career — in  other  words  over  100%  replacements  were 
required  in  the  commissioned  grades  and  21%  amongst  the  enlisted 
men.  Only  a  few  of  our  losses  were  direct  battle-casualties,  killed, 
or  wounded  under  circumstances  entitling  them  to  the  wound 
chevron,  but  almost  all  were  directly  occasioned  by  the  conditions 
of  our  warfare,  by  fatigue  or  French  mud  or  French  food. 

It  was  impossible,  at  the  time  this  book  went  to  press,  for  anyone 
to  make  a  positive  statement  concerning  the  exact  number  of  men 
whom  the  55th  lost  in  battle.  Wounded  soldiers  were  immediately 
evacuated  to  the  nearest  dressing-station,  and  were  dropped  from 
the  roster  of  the  regiment.  While  some  medical  units  were  careful 
to  report  the  fate  of  men  sent  to  them,  in  all  too  many  instances  no 
reports  whatever  came  back  to  the  regiment.  Many  casualties 
occurred  in  the  darkness  of  night,  and  amid  battle  conditions;  and 
the  medical  officers  of  the  55th  were  far  more  concerned  to  save  the 
lives  of  the  soldiers  than  they  were  to  preserve  records;  conse- 
quently they  often  placed  injured  men  in  ambulances,  without 
knowing  to  which  dressing-station  or  field  hospital  the  vehicles  were 
bound.  Doubtless  in  some  cases  men  lost  the  tags  which  they  were 
supposed  to  wear,  and  which  gave  their  names  and  organizations. 
For  many  reasons  it  was  inevitable  that  uncertainty  should  exist 
concerning  the  fate  of  men  who  were  evacuated.    At  least  a  dozen 


The  Armistice  221 

injured  soldiers  were  sent  from  the  55th,  who  may  have  died,  and 
about  whom  no  reports  were  ever  received.  Years  will  elapse 
before  the  final  word  can  be  spoken. 

So  far  as  diligent  search  could  ascertain,  the  regiment  lost 
thirteen  men  killed,  or  mortally  wounded  in  action.  A  comparison 
of  this  figure  with  the  average  number  killed  in  the  eighteen  artillery 
regiments  of  the  divisions  with  which  the  55th  were  associated 
(the  2d,  28th,  32d,  37th,  42d  and  77th)  and  which  experienced 
approximately  the  same  amount  of  fighting  as  we  did,  reveals  the 
fact  that  the  55th's  losses  were  nearly  the  average.  For  the  eighteen 
regiments  the  average  loss  was  fifteen.  The  highest  figure  of 
regimental  loss  amongst  them  was  in  the  119th  F.  Arty,  of  the  32d 
Division — thirty-three.  Of  all  American  artillery  regiments  the 
7th,  in  the  1st  Division,  suffered  most  severely,  losing  57  in  battle. 
The  lower  figure  in  the  55th  was  due  to  the  care  with  which  camou- 
flage discipline  was  imposed  by  the  officers,  and  the  intelligent 
compliance  with  camouflage  rules  on  the  part  of  the  men.  It  was 
interesting  to  know  that  the  entire  55th  Brigade  of  F.  Arty,  (with 
whom  the  regiment  was  frequently  confused)  lost  only  a  total  of 
seventeen  in  all  three  of  its  regiments. 

Amongst  those  dropped  because  of  injuries  was  Lt.  George 
Ostergren  of  the  3d  Batl.  He  had  been  hurt  previously  during 
the  battle,  and  had  returned  to  duty;  on  Nov.  19,  while  playing 
foot-ball  with  the  men  at  Beaufort,  he  suffered  a  fracture  of  the  leg, 
and  had  to  drop  out  of  the  regiment  permanently,  amid  the  regrets 
of  a  host  of  friends.  It  was  especially  lamentable  that  the  accident 
should  happen  after  the  dangers  of  battle  had  been  left  behind, 
and  the  regiment  had  entered  the  period  of  relative  quiet  which 
was  ushered  in  by  the  armistice. 


CHAPTER  XI 
Homeward  Bound — H.  M.  S.  *'Cretic" 

THE  regiment  enjoyed  a  few  days  of  peace  on  the  battle- 
field. The  3d  Batl.  marched  back  from  Beaufort  to 
Romagne  on  Nov.  20.  Meanwhile  everyone  had  op- 
portunity to  look  around  at  leisure,  and  absorb  the  final  impressions 
which  were  to  accompany  them  homeward  from  the  Argonne. 
How  still  it  all  seemed!  Trucks  were  numerous  on  the  roads;  but 
only  a  few  scattering  men  bivouacked  in  the  fields,  where  thousands 
had  been  so  recently.  Away  to  the  northward,  on  the  expanse 
where  opposing  battle-lines  of  infantry  had  swayed  forward  and 
backward  in  their  death-grapple,  now  stood  a  few  disabled  tanks — 
and  a  tragic  array  of  small  crosses.  One  discovered  unimagined 
stretches  of  landscape  as  one  looked;  no  one  dreamed  previously 
that  there  was  so  wide  a  reach  of  scenery — how  instinctively  the 
soldier  had  heeded  the  injunction  of  safety,  to  "keep  your  head 
down!''  Now  the  Argonne  was  lonesome.  Beyond  question  it 
was  time  to  go  home. 

On  Nov.  22  it  occurred  to  someone  that  the  regiment  was  one 
year  old — there  had  always  been  a  little  uncertainty  as  to  the 
exact  birthday;  but  the  22d  was  as  available  as  any.  So  the 
colors  were  taken  out  of  their  canvas  wrappings  and  flown  to  the 
breeze — for  the  first  time  since  Aug.  1.  Band-leader  Svensson 
assembled  all  that  remained  of  the  Band,  and  gave  an  excellent 
concert. 

Altho  the  number  of  trucks  had  been  reduced  because  of  the 
large  transfers  to  the  66th  Brigade,  an  attempt  was  to  be  made  to 
transport  everyone;  the  regiment  was  divided  into  light  and  heavy 
columns,  and  the  "marching  column"  was  abolished.  Three  swift 
five-ton  tractors  had  been  issued  to  Bat.  A  as  replacements  for  in- 
jured "elephants";  and  consequently  three  of  the  guns  would  be 
able  to  keep  up  with  the  swifter  light  column — the  other  twenty-one 
must  lumber  along  more  ponderously  with  the  heavy  column. 
Many  officers  were  relieved,  and  permitted  to  rest  after  their 
arduous  weeks  of  battle;  and  the  commissioned  roster  of  the  regi- 
ment assumed  an  unfamiliar  aspect.  Col.  Roberts  commanded; 
Lt.  Col.  Marsh  reported  for  duty  on  Nov.  29.     Capt.  Reed  was 


Homeward  Bound— -H.  M.  S.  ''Cretic''  223 

Adjutant.  The  battalion  commanders  were:  1st,  Maj.  Barker;  2d, 
Maj.  Smith;  and  3d,  Maj.  Nestor.  Capt.  W.  L.  Smith  commanded 
Headquarters  Co.;  Capt.  Harris,  Bat.  A;  Capt.  Kimball,  B;  Capt. 
Moreland,  C;  Capt.  Hirsch,  D;  Capt.  MacDougall,  E;  Lt.  Bates, 
F;  and  Capt.  Clancy,  the  Supply  Co.  On  Nov.  23  the  52d  Pioneer 
Inf.  bivouacked  at  Epinonville,  and  built  many  camp-fires  to  keep 
themselves  warm.  As  the  only  supply  of  fuel  was  the  group  of 
German  shacks  on  the  hill-side,  and  as  a  large  percentage  of  these 
went  up  in  smoke  during  a  single  night,  the  district  bade  fair  to 
become  an  uninhabitable  desert  within  a  few  more  hours.  The 
55th  were  prepared  to  yield  ready  and  willing  obedience  to 
marching-orders . 

The  start  was  made  on  Nov.  24  at  9.20  a.  m. — ^true  to  regimental 
tradition,  Sunday  was  the  day  chosen.  All  units  assembled  at 
Eclisfontaine,  and  from  there  moved  southward,  with  the  light 
column  leading  and  the  heavy  column  proceeding  more  slowly. 
The  route  led  thru  Charpentry,  Varennes  and  Neuvilly;  and  at  the 
ruins  of  latter  town  the  light  column  stopped  to  eat  luncheon. 
Troops  of  the  77th  Division,  who  were  likewise  on  their  way  south- 
ward, occupied  the  caves  and  cellars  and  ruins  of  the  town,  and 
refused  to  relinquish  an  inch  to  the  Army  Artillery,  disregarding 
entirely  the  written  authority  which  the  55th  were  able  to  show. 
They  did  permit  the  officers  and  men  who  were  suffering  most  from 
the  cold,  to  warm  themselves  by  77th  Division  fires,  and  so  to  eat 
in  greater  comfort.  A  Chaplain  of  another  organization  happened 
along  during  the  lunch  hour,  riding  in  a  salvaged  side-car — to  such 
lengths  had  the  salvaging  process  extended. 

During  the  afternoon  the  light  column  moved  to  the  south  of 
Parois,  and  at  4  p.  m.  settled  for  the  night  in  old  French  camps — 
Camp  de  Domagin  and  Camp  Dois  du  Comte.  Everyone  was 
struck  by  the  marked  contrast  between  this  seventeen  and  one-half 
mile  journey,  made  in  complete  safety  and  by  daylight,  and  the 
corresponding  stages  of  the  regiment's  night  journey  two  months 
previous.  The  heavy  column  reached  Neuvilly  at  8  p.  m.  and, 
owing  to  the  presence  of  the  77th  Division,  had  to  remain  in  the 
open  all  night. 

In  the  old  French  camps  the  55th  divided  accommodations  with 
the  147th  F.  Arty.  The  latter  had  been  there  ever  since  the  armis- 
tice and,  so  far  as  they  knew,  were  destined  to  remain  there  in- 
definitely— meanwhile  they  were  keeping  themselves  warm  by 


224  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

burning  wood  which  they  tore  from  the  French  buildings,  and  had 
already  demolished  a  considerable  fraction  of  the  establishment. 

On  Nov.  25,  a  sixteen-mile  journey  brought  both  columns  to- 
gether at  Beauzee,  with  men  of  the  batteries  overflowing  into 
billets  at  Bulainville  and  Deuxnouds;  men  were  billeted  in  fairly 
comfortable  barns  and  lofts,  and  ofiicers  occupied  an  old  barracks 
building.  Pvt.  Ephraim  F.  Gendreau  of  Bat.  A  had  the  misfortune 
to  fall  beneath  the  wheels  of  a  gun,  and  received  such  severe  in- 
juries that  he  died  soon  after  reaching  the  French  Central  Hospital 
in  Bar-le-Duc.  A  fourteen-mile  journey  on  the  next  day,  Nov.  26, 
carried  both  columns  to  Naives.  There  they  occupied  billets  of 
the  customary  sort,  the  regimental  Headquarters  being  in  a  resi- 
dence possessing  genuine  claims  to  comfort  and  beauty;  the  men 
of  Batteries  C,  D,  E  and  F  overflowed  into  the  nearby  village  of 
Rosieres.  The  regiment  rested  on  Nov.  27,  and  many  officers 
and  men  took  advantage  of  their  proximity  to  Bar-le-Duc  and 
enjoyed  baths  there  or  did  a  little  shopping.  During  the  day  a 
complimentary  valedictory  message  was  received  from  the  5th 
Corps : 

"Headquarters  31st  Heavy  Artillery  Brigade. 

"27  November,  1918. 

"General  Orders  No.  33. 

"1.  The  Brigade  Commander  takes  just  pride  in  publishing  the 
following  letter  to  the  troops  of  this  command.  He  desires  that 
each  oflacer  and  enlisted  man  be  acquainted  with  the  contents  of  this 
letter. 

"'Headquarters  Fifth  Army  Corps,  American  Expeditionary 
Forces. 

"'France,  November,  1918. 
"'From:  Commanding  General,  Fifth  Corps. 
"'To:  Brigadier  General  W.  C.  Davis,  Commanding  31st  Brigade, 
C.  A.  C. 
"'Subject:  Commendation. 

" '  1.  I  desire  to  extend  to  you  and  to  the  ofiicers  and  soldiers  of 
your  Brigade  my  sincere  thanks  and  high  appreciation  of  the  excel- 
lent service  that  you  have  recently  rendered  while  acting  as  Corps 
Heavy  Artillery  of  this  Corps. 

"'2.  Notwithstanding  the  adverse  weather  conditions  which 
jnade  travel  over  the  roads  of  the  sector  occupied  by  the  corps 
extremely  difficult,  especially  for  artillery,  of  heavy  caliber,  you 


Homeward  Bound— H,  M.  S.  ''Cretic''  225 

have  displayed  the  greatest  energy  in  keeping  these  heavy  pieces 
at  the  forefront  of  battle,  and  have  occupied  positions  from  which 
the  Metz-M^zieres  Railroad  was  brought  under  interdiction  fire, 
enabling  us  in  this  manner  to  practically  cut  this  important  com- 
munication of  the  enemy. 

'"3.  The  prompt  and  cheerful  response  to  all  requests  for 
fire,  and  the  general  attitude  of  cooperation  manifested  by  your 
command  are  in  every  way  commendable  and  are  indicative  of  the 
spirit  of  team  work  that  has  been  the  crowning  element  of  our 
success. 

"^C.    P.    SUMMERALL, 

"'Major  General,  Commanding.' 
"By  Command  of  Brigadier  General  Davis. 

"R.  S.  Stewart, 
"Captain,  C.  A.  C. 
"Adjutant.'' 

Thanksgiving  day,  Nov.  28,  was  signalized  by  two  events,  one 
distant  and  the  other  near.  On  Staten  Island,  New  York  City,  Maj. 
Holbrook  finished  his  course  as  a  gallant  soldier,  and  lost  his  battle 
with  dread  tuberculosis.  In  France  the  regiment  made  the  hardest 
day's  journey  in  their  entire  experience,  from  Naives  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Meuse  to  Champcourt  in  the  Department  of  Haute 
Marne — a  total  distance  of  sixty  miles.  An  early  start  was  made 
from  Naives,  the  heavy  column  leaving  at  2  a.  m.  and  the  light 
column  two  hours  later,  so  as  to  pass  Bar-le-Duc  before  dawn  and 
avoid  any  disturbance  of  traffic  in  that  busy  center.  A  Supply  Co. 
driver  had  an  adventure  which  illustrated  the  possibilities  of  a 
worn-out  motor  vehicle.  He  complained  to  Lt.  Rose;  "  I  don't  know 
what  is  the  matter  with  this  truck;  the  engine  works  all  right,  the 
wheels  turn,  and  yet  she  does  not  move."  The  truck  was  a  "Four 
Wheel  Drive"  (a  "F.  W.  D.")  on  which  both  the  front  and  rear 
shafts  were  connected  with  the  motor.  Lt.  Rose  told  him  to  start 
up  once  more.  Everything  worked  finely;  but — the  front  wheels 
turned  one  way  and  the  rear  wheels  the  opposite  way.  This  fact 
was  concealed  from  the  driver,  as  only  the  front  wheels  were  within 
his  view.  It  was  necessary  to  disconnect  the  rear  driving-shaft  and 
to  work  on  the  forward  wheels  alone. 

The  light  column  passed  their  heavier  comrades  on  the  road,  and 

reached  their  supposed  destination,  Dammarie  in  the  Department 

of  the  Meuse,  by  10  a.  m.  ;  the  heavy  column  rumbled  into  town 
15 


The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

at  2  p.  M.  The  3d  Batl.  and  the  guns  moved  to  the  neighboring 
village  of  Morley;  and  everyone  settled  down  for  a  restful,  happy 
Thanksgiving  afternoon.  Alas  for  "the  best  laid  plans"!  The 
regiment  were  inadvertently  intruding  in  a  French  area;  and  the 
rightful  occupants  needed  the  billets  toute  de  suite.  At  3.15  p.  m. 
fresh  orders  came  from  the  Headquarters  of  Army  Artillery  di- 
recting the  regiment  to  proceed  at  once  to  their  permanent  rest 
billets  in  the  18th  Artillery  Area — orders  which  lengthened  the 
Thanksgiving  journey  from  a  short  nineteen  miles  to  sixty.  In 
view  of  the  holiday  it  had  been  specified  that  "no  unnecessary 
work"  should  be  done  on  Nov.  28.  As  the  drivers  renewed  their 
supply  of  gasolene  and  oil  and  the  men  stowed  their  tired  limbs  in 
the  trucks,  everyone  was  wondering  what  sort  of  a  humorist  had 
prepared  that  order.  It  began  to  rain  at  5  p.  m.,  when  the  light 
column  resumed  its  progress,  and  continued  doing  so  until  the 
trucks  arrived  in  Champcourt,  at  4  a.  m.,  Nov.  29. 

It  was  impossible  for  the  heavy  column  to  maintain  any  such 
pace;  and  the  guns  fell  behind.  They  reached  Pancey  by  the 
evening  of  Nov.  29,  and  Champcourt  on  the  afternoon  of  Nov.  30. 
The  batteries  were  billeted  in  five  neighboring  villages,  Harricourt, 
Biernes,  Pratz,  Argentolles  and  LaMothe,  lying  to  the  southwest 
of  Champcourt,  the  regimental  Headquarters.  As  the  regiment 
were  to  remain  in  the  area  for  two  weeks,  and  were  to  commence 
the  process  known  as  "delousing,"  they  made  unusual  efforts  to 
secure  habitable  billets;  Maj.  Darnell,  the  Surgeon,  and  Lt.  Col. 
Marsh  (who  now  reported  for  duty)  were  on  the  ground  forty-eight 
hours  in  advance  of  the  men,  with  the  result  that  they  had  time  to 
take  a  comprehensive  survey  and  secure  the  best  possible  quarters 
for  everyone.  When,  after  a  good  night's  sleep,  the  men  awoke  on 
the  morning  of  Dec.  1,  they  would  have  been  fairly  contented — 
if  they  had  not  been  so  homesick. 

The  regiment  lost  their  "baby"  during  the  last  long  march. 
Pvt.  David  F.  Creeden  of  Bat.  D  was  only  fifteen  years  of  age;  and 
it  was  a  standing  wonder  how  he  had  ever  succeeded  in  enlisting. 
In  spite  of  his  youthfulness,  he  had  done  full  duty  during  the 
trying  months  of  battle — and  had  made  his  comrades  proud  of 
him.  But  the  combined  cold  and  fatigue  of  the  latest  journey  were 
too  much  for  him;  he  had  to  go  to  the  hospital,  and  left  the  55th. 

Champcourt  was  chiefly  distinguished  as  the  home  of  a  certain 
Monsieur  Holland,  a  representative  of  the  old  French  aristocracy, 


Homeward  Bound— -H.  M.  S,  ''Creiic''  227 

whose  chateau  stood  as  the  most  conspicuous  house  in  the  town. 
Col.  Roberts  estabhshed  Headquarters  in  this  mansion,  and  kept 
the  National  and  regimental  colors  flying  at  the  gate.  M.  Holland 
devoted  his  estate  to  the  public  good,  and  conducted  in  the  large 
buildings  a  school — what  Americans  would  term  a  county  agricul- 
tural school.  Even  in  war-times,  a  considerable  number  of  bright- 
looking  French  lads  were  busily  engaged  with  their  studies,  fitting 
themselves  to  be  more  scientific  farmers.  The  manure  pile  was  the 
largest  and  richest  that  the  author  saw  in  all  France.  M.  Holland 
was  a  deeply  religious  man,  and  stood  as  a  veritable  pillar  of  strength 
in  the  local  church ;  indeed  he  maintained  four  nuns  in  the  village, 
who  served  as  workers  in  the  school  and  as  assistants  to  the  parish 
priest. 

As  Champcourt  was  midway  between  Chaumont  and  Bar-sur- 
Aube,  opportunity  was  afforded  for  officers  and  men  to  visit  those 
cities.  They  readily  understood  why  Chaumont  had  been  given 
its  name  (the  translation  is  ^'bald  mountain")  when  they  caught 
their  first  glimpse  of  the  hill  on  which  the  city  is  built;  and  they 
were  deeply  interested  in  the  magnificent  viaduct  over  which  the 
railroad  finds  its  way  into  the  place.  The  chief  object  of  inter- 
est was  the  Headquarters  of  Gen.  Pershing,  the  "G.  H.  Q.,"  from 
which  so  much  of  the  regiment's  destiny  had  been  controlled. 
Strict  supervision  had  been  maintained  over  the  industrial  condi- 
tions of  Chaumont;  and  the  presence  of  Americans  had  not  "boost- 
ed" prices  unduly;  consequently  the  55th,  when  not  calling  on 
friends,  engaged  in  a  little  pleasant  shopping.  Bar-sur-Aube  lay 
about  ten  miles  to  the  westward,  and  afforded  another  interesting 
place  of  visit;  there  the  55th  found  the  Headquarters  of  Army 
Artillery.  The  welfare  societies  maintained  efficient  stations  at 
both  cities;  it  was  a  treat  for  the  men  to  be  where  chocolate  and 
cakes  could  actually  be  purchased,  and  where  they  did  not  hear 
the  customary  answer  from  the  secretaries,  ''all  sold  out."  In 
the  window  of  a  Bar-sur-Aube  estaminet  appeared  a  sign  which 
was  a  perfect  instance  of  laconic  eloquence — it  read,  ''Beer  here." 

Dec.  1  fell  on  a  Sunday.  The  Chaplain  was  able  to  hold  church 
with  only  a  single  unit.  Bat.  B  (in  the  Mairie  at  Biernes) ;  but  one 
feature  of  the  service  was  novel  and  strangely  gratifying.  After 
being  refused  accommodations  at  Neuvilly,  and  after  being  evicted 
at  Dammarie,  the  55th  had  begun  to  wonder  whether  they  had 
any  rights  which  others  were  bound  to  respect;  at  Biernes  the 


228  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Chaplain  found  a  battalion  of  the  52d  Inf.,  6th  Division,  searching 
for  billets,  and  he  had  the  pleasure  of  keeping  the  Major  out  in  the 
open — of  compelling  a  i&eld  officer  to  defer  establishing  a  Head- 
quarters— until  he  had  completed  the  last  number  on  the  order  of 
worship.  Additional  gratification  came  to  the  regiment  that  day, 
when  they  recognized  their  old  acquaintances  of  the  77th  Division 
marching  in;  remembering  Neuvilly,  the  55th  politely  pointed 
out  the  fact  that  Champcourt  was  fully  occupied,  and  altho  they 
were  sorry  to  compel  the  weary  New  Yorkers  to  walk  farther, 
they  could  not  help  feeling  that  there  was  justice  in  this  reversal 
of  the  situation. 

Brig.  Gen.  Davis,  who  had  been  a  fellow-passenger  on  the 
"Mauretania,'^  and  had  exercized  command  over  the  regiment  in 
the  Aire  grouping,  and  had  been  commander  of  the  31st  Brigade, 
now  appeared  in  another  role  as  director  of  our  regimental  fate ;  he 
was  commander  of  the  18th  Artillery  Area,  with  Headquarters 
at  Donjeux.  On  Dec.  2,  Gen.  Davis  issued  to  us  the  most  welcome 
order  that  we  ever  received  (Special  Order  No.  4) : 

"2.  Pursuant  to  telegraphic  instructions.  Headquarters,  S.  O.  S. 
(No.  1,001,  G-4),  dated  Dec.  1,  1918,  the  55th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C. 
(approximately  70  officers  and  1,765  enlisted  men),  will  proceed  to 
Brest  (Department  of  Finisterre),  France,  reporting  upon  arrival 
thereat  to  the  Commanding  General  of  that  port  for  embarkation 
to  the  United  States  on  the  first  available  transport. 

"They  will  leave  this  area  on  December  15,  1918. 

"The  Quartermaster  Corps  will  furnish  the  necessary  transporta- 
tion and  subsistence. 

"The  Regimental  Commander  will  make  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments for  this  movement. 

"The  travel  directed  is  necessary  in  the  military  service." 

Events  moved  rapidly.  The  regiment's  old  associate.  Col.  Harry 
T.  Mathews,  again  visited  and  inspected  his  friends,  and  by  his 
genial  kindliness  demonstrated  that  his  regard  for  old-time  com- 
rades had  not  waned.  Reports  were  received  that  a  large  mail  was 
waiting  for  the  55th  back  at  Souilly.  The  journey  proved  to 
be  too  severe  a  strain  for  the  decrepit  transport  vehicles  which 
remained  with  the  regiment — three  separate  trucks  had  to  be  sent 
out,  followed  by  a  "Dodge,''  and  three  days  elapsed,  before  the 
treasure-trove  was  possessed.  The  sixty-eight  sacks  of  mail,  when 
they  finally  arrived,  were  deemed  to  be  fully  worth  all  the  effort 


Homeward  Bound— H.  M.  S.  ''Cretic''  229 

they  had  caused,  especially  in  view  of  the  Christmas  packages 
which  they  brought.  Mus.  Alden  S.  Ripley  was  transferred  to 
Pershing's  G.  H.  Q.  Band — a  great  compliment,  but  one  which  was 
not  appreciated  by  him  as  it  involved  his  remaining  in  France  after 
the  regiment  had  gone.  And  regimental  reviews  were  ordered;  al- 
tho  the  55th  had  hitherto  engaged  in  no  such  formal  ceremonies 
whatever  during  their  entire  career,  they  now  held  three  on  as  many 
successive  days.  Dec.  6  the  regiment  assembled  on  M.  Holland's 
large  stubble-field  and  practised  the  ceremony;  on  Dec.  7  the  56th 
Arty,  marched  from  their  billets  and  joined  with  the  55th  in  a 
practise  brigade  review;  and  on  Sunday,  Dec.  7,  the  entire  31st 
Brigade — the  55th,  the  56th,  the  57th  and  the  52d  Ammunition 
Train — under  command  of  Gen.  Davis,  met  on  the  same  Champ- 
court  field  and  passed  in  review  before  the  Commanding  General 
of  the  Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,  Maj.  Gen.  William  S.  McNair 
— they  were  probably  the  largest  body  of  coast  artillery  ever 
assembled.  In  view  of  our  approaching  departure.  Gen.  McNair 
issued  a  complimentary  farewell  order: 

"Headquarters  Army  Artillery,  1st  Army,  American  E.  F., 
France. 

"7  December,  1918. 

"General  Order  No.  29. 
"To:  The  Officers  and  Soldiers  of  the  Army  Artillery,  First  Army, 
American  Expeditionary  Forces. 

"With  the  concentration  of  the  Headquarters  31st,  32nd  and 
39th  Heavy  Artillery  Brigades;  the  44th,  51st,  55th,  56th,  57th, 
59th,  60th  and  65th  Regiments,  C.  A.  C;  the  Army  Artillery 
Park;  and  the  52nd  and  53rd  Ammunition  Trains,  in  the  18th 
Training  Area,  preparatory  to  an  early  return  to  the  United 
States,  and  the  detachment  of  the  Headquarters  66th  Brigade, 
F.  A.,  and  the  146th  and  the  148th  Regiments  Field  Artillery, 
for  duty  elsewhere,  the  active  service  of  the  Army  Artillery,  First 
Army,  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  as  such,  comes  to  a  close. 

"The  undersigned  has  only  recently  been  intrusted  with  the 
command  of  the  Army  Artillery,  First  Army,  but  he  has  had  an 
opportunity  for  closely  observing  the  work  of  these  units  during 
the  period  of  active  operations,  and  is  familiar  with  the  opinion 
of  the  former  Commanding  General  Army  Artillery,  Major  General 
Edward  F.  McGlachlin,  Jr.,  U.  S.  Army,  relative  to  their  service. 


230  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

"The  mission  intrusted  to  you  by  your  Country  has  been  ably 
performed.  It  has  been  rendered  at  all  times  with  a  spirit  of 
cheerful  and  steadfast  self-sacrifice,  under  conditions  of  continual 
hardship  and  danger.  That  a  good  state  of  discipline  has  existed 
under  trying  situations  is  clearly  shown  by  the  limited  number  of 
trials  by  courts-martial,  of  the  few  absentees  and  stragglers  reported 
at  surprise  musters,  and  by  the  conditions  ascertained  from  in- 
spections ordered  by  these  headquarters. 

"  The  results  obtained,  in  the  sense  of  service  well  performed,  is 
the  best  and  most  lasting  reward.  To  that  no  words  can  add  and 
from  it  none  can  detract.  Nevertheless,  I  desire  to  express  my 
personal  appreciation  and  thanks  to  the  men  of  the  above  men- 
tioned units  who  have  so  loyally  and  efficiently  served  in  the  St. 
Mihiel  and  Meuse-Argonne  offensives.  I  trust  that  each  one  will 
continue  to  maintain  the  high  standard  of  efficiency  and  conduct 
that  has  characterized  his  service  in  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces,  and  that  every  officer  and  soldier  will  undertake  with  the 
same  fine  spirit  exhibited  in  the  past  few  months,  the  important 
duties  yet  to  be  performed  before  their  mission  is  finally  completed. 

"I  heartily  concur  in  the  following  remarks  of  the  Commander 
in  Chief  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  in  a  recent  report 
to  the  Secretary  of  War: 

''  Tinally,  I  pay  the  supreme  tribute  to  our  officers  and  soldiers 
of  the  line.  When  I  think  of  their  heroism,  their  patience  under 
hardship,  their  unflinching  spirit  of  offensive  action,  I  am  filled  with 
emotion  which  I  am  unable  to  express.  Their  deeds  are  immortal 
and  they  have  earned  the  eternal  gratitude  of  our  country.^ 

"W.  S.  McNair, 
"MajorGeneral,  U.  S.  A." 

Mistakes  occurred  which  relieved  lifers  tension.  A  first  sergeant 
appeared  at  one  of  the  regimental  reviews  with  his  face  badly 
cut  and  scratched;  his  friends  surmized  that  he  had  been  party  to 
a  cat-fight,  but  were  assured  that  he  had  inflicted  the  injuries  upon 
himself  during  his  morning  shave.  In  answer  to  their  inquiries 
as  to  how  he  could  so  butcher  himself,  he  explained  that  his  ''Gil- 
lette" did  not  work  properly;  after  shaving,  he  examined  the  razor 
and  discovered  that  he  had  inadvertently  put  two  blades  in  it. 
Officers  returning  from  the  Chaumont  trip  seemed  reluctant  to 
sing  "Mr.  Zip.''  The  ode  flowed  trippingly  from  their  lips  until 
after  the  words,  "Ashes  to  ashes  and  dust  to  dust";  but  there  the 


Homeward  Bound— H.  M.  S.  ''Cretic''  231 

singers  always  stopped — they  could  not  be  induced  to  utter  the 
sentiments  of  the  following  line,  "If  the  Camels  don't  get  you, 
the  Fatimas  must."  Finally  the  Chaplain  was  called  into  con- 
ference and  asked  whether  he  had  seen  anything  along  the  Chau- 
mont  road.  As  he  was  an  acknowledged  total  abstainer,  his  testi- 
mony was  accepted  as  satisfactory;  some  Algerian  regiment  of 
the  French  army  had  left  a  real,  live  camel  behind  them;  and  an 
army  contractor  was  actually  employing  the  animal  as  a  beast  of 
burden  on  the  highway.  One  chilly  evening  the  French  people 
gathered  outside  of  a  village  house  in  great  excitement  and  pointed 
to  a  column  of  flame  rising  from  the  chimney.  As  the  entire  town 
was  of  fire-proof  construction,  there  was  no  real  alarm;  the  chief 
concern,  probably,  was  wonder  as  to  who  could  be  wasting  so  much 
valuable  fuel.  Investigation  revealed  that  a  squad  of  Americans 
had  built  a  fire  in  the  fire-place;  they  had  no  saw,  and  consequently 
put  some  whole  boards  in  the  blaze,  with  the  ends  projecting  up 
the  chimney-flue.  Instead  of  the  fuel  working  down,  as  coal  does 
in  a  self-feeding  stove,  the  fire  had  worked  up.  One  motherly 
old  lady  took  so  much  interest  in  the  comfort  of  her  military  lodger 
that  she  used  to  walk  around  outside  the  house  and  close  the 
shutters  of  his  chamber  each  evening;  this  afforded  security  and 
warmth,  but  it  possessed  the  disadvantage  of  leaving  the  American 
in  total  darkness  when  all  the  rest  of  Champcourt  responded  to 
the  influence  of  the  belated  winter  dawn,  and  arose.  The  lady's 
notion  of  a  respectable  "getting-up  time"  was  8.30  a.  m — con- 
siderably after  the  military  breakfast  hour.  When  the  lodger  had 
missed  his  breakfast  a  time  or  two,  he  held  a  heated  discussion 
with  the  landlady;  and  finally  convinced  her  that  she  must  either 
leave  the  shutters  alone  entirely  or  else  must  open  them  a  great 
deal  earlier  in  the  morning. 

The  55th  parted  from  their  guns  on  Dec.  11;  the  men  hauled 
the  twenty-four  G.  P.  F.'s  into  an  open  field  at  Argentolles,  parked 
them  and  bade  them  a  solemn  farewell.  Some  serious  thinking 
was  prompted  by  the  separation.  For  seven  long  months  the  men 
had  regarded  as  their  primary  duty  the  proper  care  and  efficient 
working  of  these  weapons;  they  had  toiled  over  the  guns  and  had 
ever  stood  ready  to  lay  down  their  lives  rather  than  permit  a  single 
G.  P.  F.  to  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands;  they  regarded  the  guns 
as  comrades  in  battle;  and  for  all,  from  the  "Allie"  to  the  "Midg- 
et," they  felt  strong  affection.    It  cost   a  pang  to  leave  the  old 


232  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

friends,  even  when  the  parting  would  hasten  the  regimental  home- 
going.  On  the  same  day  the  members  of  the  regimental  ordnance 
detachment  received  word  that  they  were  to  remain  in  France 
as  custodians  of  the  guns,  and  were  not  to  accompany  the  regi- 
ment home;  several  months  elapsed  before  they  were  privileged 
to  see  their  native  land — indeed  Pvt.  Romeo  H.  Aubin  was  destined 
to  meet  with  a  fatal  accident  and  end  his  life  in  France.  The 
same  day  the  remaining  motor  transportation  of  the  55th  was 
delivered  into  the  keeping  of  the  Army  Artillery  Park  Train; 
members  of  this  organization  received  many  expressions  of  sympa- 
thy over  the  hard  fate  which  was  to  keep  them  months  longer 
away  from  their  California  homes. 

On  Dec.  14  the  regiment  moved  to  Vignory — ^the  entraining 
point.  At  the  station  they  found  the  65th  Arty.,  their  old-time 
comrades  on  the  ''Mauretania,"  standing  guard  over  the  howitz- 
ers of  both  the  65th  and  59th  regiments,  and  waiting  impatiently 
for  flat-cars  upon  which  they  might  load  the  heavy  ordnance.  It 
soon  developed  that  the  55th  were  also  involved  in  confusion. 
When  "side-door  Pullmans"  arrived,  in  which  our  men  were  to 
ride,  only  one  lone  passenger  coach  (a  captured  German  third- 
class  car)  accompanied  them,  for  the  use  of  the  officers.  To  adapt 
the  boyhood  language  of  the  arithmetic  class — sixty  officers  into 
one  little  car  "won't  go."  So  Col.  Roberts  and  Capt.  Reed  kept 
the  telephone  line  "warm"  between  Vignory  and  Headquarters 
at  Donjeux,  and  at  6.50  p.  m.  secured  authority  to  permit  a  most 
unusual  privilege — such  a  privilege  as  comes  only  once  during  a 
war.  Officers  beyond  those  "necessary  to  accompany  troops  on  the 
troop-train  furnished,"  were  directed  "to  proceed  by  rail  from 
Vignory  to  port  of  embarkation  at  Brest,  these  officers  to  rejoin 
the  55th  Regiment  on  their  arrival.  The  travel  directed  is  neces- 
sary in  the  military  service."  While  the  men  were  riding  in  freight- 
cars,  two-thirds  of  the  officers  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  traveling  like 
private  citizens  in  first-class  compartments  on  the  French  express- 
train,  stopping  off  at  Paris,  and  making  the  trip  at  Government 
expense.  Many  of  them  had  been  fighting  in  defense  of  Paris^ 
and  dreaming  about  the  capital,  and  had  reluctantly  concluded 
that  they  would  have  to  terminate  their  overseas  service  without 
a  single  visit  to  the  city  which  was  the  prize  of  the  war;  then,  at 
an  instant's  notice,  came  the  unexpected  opportunity.  The  of- 
ficers left  Vignory  at  7.40  p.  m.;  and  the  troop-train  itself  pulled 
out  four  hours  later. 


Main  Stkkkt  i\   AuchiNioi.i.Ks.      IlKAUur ahtkus  of  Second  Battalion 


Rest  Billets,  Champcouht 


On  the  Road,  Champcourt 


Chatkau  Rolland,  Champcoubt 


En  Route  to  Brkst  and  Home 


Open-Air  Messing  at  Camp  Pontaxezen 


Messing  at  Brest  before  the  Transformation 


The  "Duckboard  Brigade"  at  Brest 


Headquarters  Company  at  Brest 


Homeward  Bound — H.  M.  S,  "Cretic^^  233 

A  quick  run  was  made  by  the  train  which  carried  the  men. 
The  route  branched  off  from  the  French  railroad  line  and  followed 
the  new  American  track  as  far  as  Tours,  and  then  went  on  by  way 
of  Angers  to  Brest;  only  fifty-eight  hours  were  consumed  in  the 
entire  journey — the  regiment  arrived  at  their  destination  on  the 
morning  of  Tuesday,  Dec.  17.  The  speed  and  brevity  of  the  jour- 
ney occasioned  embarrassment  for  the  officers,  who  were  traveling 
independently;  for  meanwhile  the  latter  were  enjoying  golden 
hours  in  Paris.  Not  expecting  that  the  troop-train  could  make  any 
such  quick  time,  most  of  them  remained  on  the  boulevards  twenty- 
four  hours  longer  than  they  should  have  done.  Col.  Roberts, 
at  Brest,  had  only  a  dozen  or  so  officers  to  help  him  care  for  1,600 
men,  and  naturally  felt  "peeved";  when  finally  the  Paris  party 
reported  for  duty  at  their  destination,  they  found  themselves  under 
the  necessity  of  preparing  a  written  "explanation''  of  their  tardi- 
ness— but  all  felt  that  the  fun  had  been  worth  the  price. 

Of  the  regiment's  experience  at  Brest,  perhaps  the  less  said,  the 
better.  They  were  in  Camp  Pontanezen  twenty-three  long  days, 
at  the  very  worst  period  of  the  camp's  entire  history.  The 
tide  of  travel  was  suddenly  reversed  by  the  armistice,  and  all  the 
machinery  had  to  begin  functioning  toward  the  rear.  Camps 
which  had  been  over-crowded  by  ten  thousand  troops  were  re- 
quired to  receive  five  and  six  times  that  number.  A  letter  appeared 
in  the  Boston  "Transcript"  two  months  later,  from  the  pen  of  a 
non-commissioned  officer  in  the  55th,  which  correctly  set  forth 
the  sufferings  we  experienced  there: 
"To  the  Editor  of  the  Transcript: 

"No  doubt  the  thousands  of  soldiers  recently  returned  from 
France  have,  like  myself,  been  overjoyed  to  read  that  the  American 
people  are  at  last  being  informed  of  the  disgraceful  conditions  exist- 
ing in  the  American  embarkation  camp  at  Brest. 

"In  the  hope  that  those  who  are  to  follow  us  may  derive  some 
benefit  from  the  wholesale  exposures  now  being  brought  to  light, 
I  deem  it  my  duty  to  advise  you  of  the  experience  of  the  55th  Artil- 
lery of  Boston,  which  is  typical  of  what  scores  of  other  regiments 
have  had  to  endure  prior  to  embarking  for  home. 

"First,  let  me  state,  that  our  regiment  was  one  of  the  first  Ameri- 
can heavy  artillery  organizations  to  go  into  action,  having  left 
this  country  in  March  and  having  participated  in  the  second  Battle 
of  the  Marne,  operations  on  the  Vesle  and  the  entire  Meuse- 


234  The  Fifty-fifth  ArHllery 

Argonne  offensive  up  to  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  We  were 
congratulated  and  cited  on  numerous  occasions;  the  men  felt 
that  the  regiment  had  given  a  good  account  of  itself,  and  when  late 
in  November,  we  learned  that  we  were  among  the  first  fighting 
troops  scheduled  for  home,  our  joy  knew  no  bounds. 

"The  first  stage  of  our  journey  from  the  front  took  us  to  a  rest 
area  situated  between  Chaumont  and  Bar-sur-Aube,  where  the 
regiment  received  a  well  earned  rest,  as  well  as  a  much  needed 
opportunity  to  clean  up  and  prepare  the  voluminous  paper  work 
incidental  to  embarkation.  Here  we  received  new  uniforms,  new 
overcoats,  shoes,  etc.,  and  after  two  weeks  of  inspections  and 
reviews  without  number,  we  were  credulous  enough  to  believe  that 
the  welcome  day  of  sailing  was  at  hand. 

"Alas!  on  Dec.  17,  we  reached  Brest,  and  then  our  troubles 
began.  On  that  memorable  morning  we  marched  for  about  four 
miles  to  Camp  Pontanezen,  the  camp  to  which  'The  Stars  and 
Stripes'  of  Paris  had  just  devoted  a  feature  article:  'Twenty  miles 
of  cement  sidewalks,  beautiful  macadamized  roads;  in  short,  a 
marvel  of  American  ingenuity  and  efficiency.' 

"Imagine  our  surprise  when  we  found  ourselves  wallowing 
through  mud  and  water  ankle  deep,  stretching  for  miles  in  every 
direction.  This  was  not  a  camp,  but  a  swamp,  alive  with  40,000  or 
50,000  unfortunates  covered  with  mud  and  soaked  to  the  skin;  for, 
allow  me  to  say,  it  rained  almost  continuously  in  Brest  from  Dec. 
17  to  the  date  of  our  sailing,  Jan.  10. 

"  We  looked  in  vain  for  some  barracks,  but  no  such  good  fortune 
awaited  us.  Instead  we  beheld  a  tented  city,  and  soon  found  our- 
selves assigned  to  tents  without  stoves  or  floors,  each  tent  ac- 
commodating six  men.  It  was  pathetic  to  see  the  men  wading 
through  water  knee  deep  in  effort  to  reach  the  kitchens  where  from 
6,000  to  8,000  men  are  obliged  to  stand  in  line  for  two  hours  in  the 
pouring  rain  before  each  meal.  Never  will  I  forget  that  first  meal; 
cold  corned  beef,  one  potato,  one  slice  of  bread  and  no  coffee.  I 
looked  in  vain  for  the  toilet  accommodations;  evidently  these  are 
not  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to  worry  about.  It  was  evident 
to  us  all  that  the  *  Battle  of  Brest'  would  be  by  far  the  greatest  trial 
that  we  had  been  called  upon  to  face.  Only  the  thought  that  it  was 
a  matter  of  but  two  or  three  days  enabled  us  to  make  the  best  of  it. 

"Another  rude  awakening,  however,  was  in  store  for  us.  A 
royal  welcome  from  the  camp  authorities  awaited  the  Fifty-Fifth. 


Homeward  Bound— H.  M.  S.  ''Cretic''  235 

Battleships  in  the  harbor  had  to  be  coaled;  the  warehouses  on  the 
wharves  provided  plenty  of  opportunity  for  ambitious  stevedores, 
and  in  the  camp  itself  a  labor  battalion  such  as  ours  appeared  to 
fill  a  long-felt  need.  Detail  after  detail  was  ordered  out;  night  and 
day  the  returning  heroes  performed  work  at  which  prisoners  of  war 
might  well  have  revolted. 

"As  a  result  of  constant  exposure  and  the  abominable  living 
conditions,  scores  of  men  were  taken  sick  and  the  rest  merely 
existed  in  the  fast  dying  hope  that  Providence  would  some  day 
furnish  a  ship  which  would  deliver  us  from  this  hell  hole. 

"For  twenty-three  days  we  endured  hardships  which  only  those 
who  have  visited  Brest  are  in  a  position  to  appreciate. 

"On  board  the  'Cretic,'  westward  bound,  one  of  our  artists 
summarized  the  situation  by  sketching  on  the  walls  of  the  ship  the 
outlines  of  a  coffin  with  the  laconic  inscription,  *  Brest,  Rest.' 
No  further  comment  is  necessary. 

"Arnold  A.  Robert,  Jr. 

"Roslindale,  Feb.  21,  1919." 

During  thejegiment's  stay  at  the  port  of  embarkation,  conditions 
manifested  signs  of  improvement.  The  welfare  societies  did  their 
utmost,  with  limited  faciUties,  to  ameliorate  conditions — the  Red 
Cross,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus  rivaling  one 
another  in  good  works;  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Christmas  boxes  brought 
cheer  to  the  men.  Red  Cross  Hut  No.  1  was  opened  for  the  use  of 
officers,  and  was  pronounced  "the  one  human  spot  in  Pontanezen." 
Gen.  Smedley  D.  Butler,  the  camp  commander,  tried  vigorously  to 
promote  reform — he  even  led  a  procession,  on  foot,  from  the  city 
to  the  camp  and  personally  carried  on  his  shoulders  a  section  of 
side-walk  (known  as  "duck-board")-  The  regiment  sailed  before 
these  reforms  had  time  to  get  fully  underway  and  to  produce 
results.  When,  however,  all  allowances  have  been  made,  the  fact 
remains  that  Brest,  with  its  inhuman  conditions,  cost  the  55th 
more  lives  than  did  the  regiment's  three  weeks  of  hardest  fighting — 
the  weeks  at  Montfaucon. 

The  regiment  resented  the  treatment  to  which  their  baggage 
was  subjected  upon  arrival  at  the  port;  officers  connected  with  the 
service  of  supply  (the  "S.  O.  S.")  broke  almost  every  box  open — 
and  helped  themselves  to  much  of  the  contents.  Perhaps  there  was 
an  excessive  amount  of  baggage;  so  much  must  be  conceded  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  Bat.  D  was  attempting  to  take  to  the  United 


236  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

States  a  French  piano  which  they  had  bought  during  their  travels. 
The  S.  0.  S.  lieutenants  had  never  enjoyed  an  opportunity  to  be- 
come familiar  with  hand-grenades;  when  they  uncovered  a  package 
of  these  munitions  in  the  Band^s  baggage,  notwithstanding  that 
the  grenades  had  all  been  carefully  emptied  of  explosives,  the 
officers  incontinently  fled — and  presently  the  regiment  received  an 
order  prohibiting  the  transportation  of  any  explosives. 

Officers  holding  Regular  Army  commissions  were  detached  on 
Dec.  19,  and  were  assigned  other  duties,  which  required  their 
remaining  in  France.  Lt.  Col.  Marsh  left  the  regiment  first  of  all, 
at  Vignory;  Col.  Roberts  was  the  only  "regular''  permitted  to  return 
with  the  command.  Capt.  Hirsch's  separation  from  Bat.  D  termi- 
nated a  connection  which  had  been  unbroken  during  nine  months. 

In  connection  with  the  stevedore  work,  Pvt.  William  L.  White 
of  Headquarters  Co.  was  drowned  on  Dec.  22.  In  company  with 
two  sailors  and  one  soldier,  he  was  on  a  scow  in  the  outer  harbor, 
busily  coaling  the  "North  CaroHna.''  A  heavy  wave  swamped 
the  scow,  first  lifting  it  up  and  then  dropping  it  with  violence; 
White  was  knocked  off  into  the  water  just  in  season  to  be  struck 
by  wreckage  descending  from  the  wave's  crest,  and  was  rendered 
insensible.  This  accident  took  from  the  regiment  one  of  the  bravest 
of  all  the  telephone  line-men,  who  had  been  so  highly  commended  in 
September. 

Everything  possible  was  done  by  the  officers  to  extricate  the  men 
from  the  mud.  When  a  camp  entertainment  troupe  was  organized, 
as  many  55th  men  as  possible  were  nominated  for  membership — 
the  performers  being  excused  from  all  "poHce"  and  stevedore 
work.  Winter  nights  seemed  interminable  in  northern  France, 
lasting  as  they  did  from  4  p.  m.  until  after  8  a.  m.,  and  the  men  suf- 
fered from  lack  of  light  and  heat.  Officers,  including  even  the 
Chaplain,  indulged  in  criminal  practises  which  would  have  been 
rewarded  by  jail-sentences  under  normal  conditions,  in  order  to 
procure  stoves  and  fuel  and  electric  bulbs  and  candles  from  the 
inert  and  paralyzed  authorities  of  the  camp — there  was  no  other 
way  of  preserving  the  men's  lives.  "Physical  examinations" 
and  "delousing,"  however  necessary,  took  on  new  and  horrible 
significance,  and  impressed  themselves  ineradicably  upon  the  regi- 
mental consciousness. 

One  Y.  M.  C.  A.  lecturer  had  a  startling  revelation  of  the 
soldier-mind.    After  his  address  on  some  dignified  historical  theme, 


Homeward  Bound — H.  M,  S.  ''Crelic'^  237 

he  invited  questions;  and  was  gratified  at  seeing  a  soldier  arise  in 
the  body  of  the  house.  "Certainly,  my  man;  I  am  glad  of  your 
interest  in  the  subject.  What  is  the  question?"  *'Sir,"  said  the 
soldier,  "I  have  three  questions:  First,  when  do  we  go  home? 
Second,  when  do  we  get  paid?  Third,  where  can  we  get  something 
to  eat?"  These  were  the  only  three  questions  ever  asked  at  Brest. 
When,  on  Jan.  2,  the  first  victim  of  Pontanezen  pneumonia  died 
(Pvt.  Edward  J.  Person  of  Bat.  F),  and  was  buried  by  the  camp 
authorities  without  their  so  much  as  notifying  any  officer  or  man 
of  the  55th,  the  event  caused  the  cup  of  regimental  misery  to  over- 
flow. From  that  day  forward  the  doctors  classed  the  regimental 
officers  as  persistent  nuisances;  but  the  camp  authorities  were 
never  given  an  opportunity  of  again  violating  regimental  senti- 
ment with  regard  to  the  dead. 

Embarkation  orders  No.  33,  from  the  Central  Embarkation 
Office,  Base  Section  No.  5,  U.  S.  Army  Post-Office  No.  715,  reached 
the  regiment  on  Jan.  8,  1919,  signed  by  Maj.  Gen.  Eli  A.  Helmick 
and  F.  F.  Jewett,  Lt.  Col.  General  Staff,  Chief  of  Staff,  per 
Dennis  F.  Barry,  1st  Lt.  Infantry,  Ass't  Chief  Embarkation 
Officer;  these  instructed  the  55th  C.  A.  C.  (49  officers  and  1,607 
men)  to  embark  on  H.  M.  S.  **Cretic,"  from  the  Jetty  de  TEst, 
at  9  A.  M.,  Jan.  9.  Leaving  Pontanezen  at  7.15  a.  m.,  the  regiment 
marched  to  the  jetty;  and  after  a  tedious  wait  (for  the  wind  to 
quiet  down)  they  boarded  a  lighter  and  at  3.45  p.  m.  actually  found 
themselves  on  the  "Cretic."  One  officer  celebrated  the  event  by 
throwing  overboard  the  muddy  ''arctics"  which  he  had  been 
compelled  to  wear  constantly  during  nearly  three  months. 

The  "Cretic,"  Commander  W.  E.  Ingham,  the  regiment's  home 
during  the  next  thirteen  days  (one  of  waiting  and  twelve  of  voyage), 
proved  to  be  an  old-fashioned  vessel,  but  a  comfortable  one.  It 
seemed  very  odd  to  be  eating  real  American  food  once  again,  and 
everyone  enjoyed  the  excellent  fare.  Several  hundred  wounded 
men  from  the  27th  and  30th  Divisions  formed  part  of  the  pas- 
senger list;  and  the  55th  were  able  to  compare  their  experiences 
while  fighting  as  companions  to  the  French  with  the  tales  of  men 
who  had  battled  in  the  British  sector — French  and  British  made 
equally  favorable  impressions  upon  their  American  comrades-in- 
arms. Two  prominent  fellow-passengers  were  Col.  Albert  L. 
Rhoades  of  the  44th  Arty.,  a  most  delightful  combination  of 
ballistic-expert  and  raconteur  (who  had  much  to  do  with  working 


238  The  Fifty-fifth  Ariillery 

out  the  new  theory  for  Army  Artillery,  in  accordance  with  which 
the  55th  were  posted  away  up  near  the  infantry  lines),  and  Maj. 
F.  H.  Baker  of  Caldwell,  N.  J.,  who  had  served  with  the  Quarter- 
master Corps  and  who  was  a  brother  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
Newton  D.  Baker. 

The  "Cretic"  sailed  from  Brest  at  9  a.  m.  on  Jan.  10.  According 
to  the  calendar,  the  Dakota  members  of  the  55th  exactly  completed 
one  year  of  overseas  service;  but  the  balance  of  the  regiment  had 
to  content  themselves  with  a  record  of  between  nine  and  ten  months, 
and  to  indicate  the  same  by  wearing  a  single  gold  chevron. 

With  calm  weather,  wonderfully  cahn  for  January,  the  voyage 
was  pleasant  and  had  no  outstanding  features.  The  Band  gave 
two  excellent  concerts  each  day;  officers  had  to  do  a  little  studying; 
there  were  no  drills  and  only  a  moderate  amount  of  guard-duty. 
The  men  indulged  their  sporting  instincts  by  cheering  the  por- 
poise, alongside  of  the  ship,  and  encouraging  the  swimming  animals 
to  make  higher  jumps.  Two  soldiers  died  as  a  delayed  result  of 
Pontanezen  pneumonia — Sgt.  William  J.  Phillips  of  Headquarters 
Co.  and  Cpl.  Fred  C.  Guyette  of  Bat.  C. ;  the  remains  were  trans- 
ported to  the  United  States.  A  member  of  the  crew,  Asst.  Butcher 
Walter  Robinson  of  Liverpool,  died  Jan.  20  and  received  a  sailor's 
burial  at  the  hands  of  Chaplain  Cutler.  Church  services  were 
held  on  Jan.  12  and  19,  the  first  on  deck  and  the  second  in  the 
second-class  saloon;  the  regimental  Chaplain  was  assisted  by  Chap- 
lain Robson  of  the  30th  Division  and  by  Messrs.  Goodwin  and 
Thompson  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  In  the  former  of  these  meetings 
for  worship,  there  was  active  participation  by  Maj.  Nestor's  dog, 
who  insisted  upon  loudly  expressing  his  approval  of  the  proceed- 
ings; this  "Pickwick,"  being  the  property  of  a  field  officer,  was  a 
privileged  character.  (To  Maj.  Nestor's  despair,  however,  the 
aristocratic  canine  did  not  like  his  literary  name  and  responded 
more  readily  to  the  title,  "Cootie.")  An  entertainment  Jan.  18 
netted  £16  7/3;  the  program  was  as  follows: 

S.  S.  Cretic 

A  GRAND  CONCERT 

given  in  aid  of  the 

Marine  Charities  of  New  York  and  Liverpool 

(By  kind  permission  of  Commander  W.  E.  Ingham 

and  Col.  J.  L.  Roberts,  55th  Artillery,  C.  A.  C.) 

At  8.30  p.  M.  January  18,  1919. 


Homeward  Bound— -H.  M.  S.  "Cretic''  239 

PROGRAMME 
March:  ''U.  S.  Field  Artillery  March''  Sousa 

55th  Artillery  Band 
"Somewhat  Lingo" 

Private  Goldstein,  Supply  Company 
Solo:  "Those  Songs  My  Mother  Used  To  Sing"  Smith 

Sergeant  Dufresne 
Solo:  "Moon  of  the  Summer  Night"  Allen  J.  Flynn 

Private  Margeson,  Battery  B 
March :  "  Quand  Madelon ' '  A  liter 

55th  Artillery  Band 
Singing  and  Talking 

Corporal  Harrigan,  Battery  B 
D  uet :  "  Miserere ' '  from  ' '  II  Tr  o  vat  ore ' '  Verdi 

Assistant  Band-Leader  Linden,  Sergeant  Dufresne 

"  Prelude ' '  Rachmaninoff 

Sergeant  Drittler,  Medical  Detachment 

Quartette 

Privates  Munroe,  Stewart,  Margeson,  Viscounte, 

Battery  B 

March:  "From  Here  to  Shanghai"  Berlin 

55th  Artillery  Band 
At  the  Piano  for  Singing  and  Talking  Numbers 
Private  Marr,  Battery  B 
National  Anthems 
Lt.  Keller  was  in  charge  of  the  program. 

In  marked  contrast  to  the  usual  subservient  class  of  men  who 
function  as  ship's  stewards,  those  responsible  for  the  comfort  of  the 
passengers  on  the  "Cretic"  were  all  old  "service  men,"  soldiers 
or  sailors  who  had  "done  their  bit"  during  the  earlier  years  of  the 
war,  on  the  sea  or  in  Marshal  French's  "contemptible  little  army," 
and  who  wore  their  service  ribbons  with  much  pride.  No  American 
ever  dreamed  of  being  patronizing  to  such  men. 

On  Jan.  20,  great  winter  gulls  displaced  the  smaller  European 
variety  who  had  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  ship  all  the  way  from 
France.  The  next  afternoon,  Jan.  21,  the  pilot  came  aboard  and 
guided  us  into  New  York  Harbor.  It  was  at  this  time  that  we 
heard  the  tidings  that  the  "States  had  gone  dry"  during  the  days 
of  our  voyage.    The  "  Cretic  "  reached  her  wharf  at  9  a.  m.,  Jan.  22 — 


240  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

and  the  regiment^s  foreign  service  pay  stopped.  Maj.  Smith  cele- 
brated a  birthday  on  the  twenty-second,  and  asserted  that  it  was 
the  greatest  day  of  his  entire  Ufe;  the  balance  of  the  55th  were 
quite  ready  to  concede  that  the  day  was  wonderful,  even  tho  it 
did  not  involve  a  natal  anniversary  for  them.  The  regiment 
numbered  44  officers  and  1,557  men  upon  arrival  at  New  York — 5 
officers  and  50  men  had  separated  from  the  command  since  Jan.  8. 
Half  of  these  had  been  transferred  to  the  Quartermaster  Corps 
and  left  in  France  to  do  typewriting  and  other  clerical  work,  and 
the  remainder  had  either  been  left  at  the  Pontanezen  hospital  or 
had  died. 

The  regiment^s  "welcome  home"  began  in  New  York  Harbor. 
A  committee  appointed  by  the  Mayor  of  New  York  came  down  on 
a  special  boat  and  shouted  greetings  across  the  intervening  strip 
of  water  by  megaphone;  with  them  was  a  band.  The  Providence 
Welfare  League  sent  a  delegation  in  honor  of  Bat.  E.  Committees 
of  ladies,  representing  the  Red  Cross  and  the  War  Camp  Communi- 
ty Service,  were  at  the  New  York  pier,  when  the  "Cretic"  made 
fast,  and  they  soon  greeted  the  soldiers  with  things  good  to  eat. 
The  general  public  was  not  admitted  at  this  time ;  and  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  private  greetings.  When  the  regiment  had  pro- 
ceeded by  ferry-boat  to  Long  Island  City,  they  received  their  third 
greeting — again  at  the  hands  of  the  Red  Cross,  with  cooperation  by 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A. ;  it  was  the  noon  hour,  when  men  grow  hungry,  and 
this  welcome  assumed  the  form  of  lunch-boxes  containing  assorted 
"goodies,"  especially  cake.  In  France  sweets  had  been  scarce  and 
almost  unobtainable — as  the  men  now  received  great  slices  of 
pound-cake  and  fruit-cake,  they  were  dazed;  they  had  forgotten 
that  so  much  cake  existed  in  the  world.  The  Red  Cross  could  have 
had  the  55th's  vote  that  day  for  any  honor  in  their  power  to  confer — 
one  soldier  emptied  his  mouth  long  enough  to  make  the  enthusiastic 
remark,  that  America,  the  land  of  cake,  was  a  country  worth 
fighting  for. 

Friends  were  waiting  to  greet  some  of  the  men  at  the  Long  Island 
City  ferry-slip  and  craned  their  necks  as  one  battery  after  another 
marched  by  from  the  gang-plank  to  the  station.  The  emotion  in 
the  air  was  terrific.  Men  and  women  waited  with  tears  streaming 
down  their  cheeks;  then  as  a  son  approached  in  the  column,  there 
would  be  a  shout  of  "John"  or  "George."  And  John  or  George 
struggled  to  hold  back  the  tears  while  he  dropped  out  of  the  ranks 


H.  M.  S.  "Cretic' 


WfkWiJ  I  'S 

^h^e-d 

■  ""(f'^i  jji. 

■■?  rfi^M 

On  the  "Cretic' 


Camp  Mills 


Cor.DKN   (Iatk   at   Lkft 


Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition  at  Right 
55th  upon  arrival  AT  FORT  SCOTT— "ALL  THAT  WAS  LEFT  OF  THEM' 


Homeward  Bound— H.  M.  S.  ''Cretic''  241 

long  enough  for  an  embrace,  and  then  "double-timed"  to  catch  up 
— with  laughing  mother  or  father  trotting  along  beside  the  column. 

After  a  short  railroad  ride  and  a  half-mile  march,  the  regiment 
made  themselves  at  home  in  Camp  Mills,  Mineola,  Long  Island. 
Weather  conditions  were  sadly  reminiscent  of  those  at  Brest;  but 
Camp  Mills  was  utterly  different  from  Camp  Pontanezen  in  its 
provision  for  making  soldiers  comfortable;  paved  streets,  dry 
barracks  and  excellent  food  caused  the  men  to  overlook  the  pre- 
vailing wetness.  There  was  also  a  Liberty  Theater,  which  helped 
the  evenings  pass  pleasantly;  most  of  the  batteries  had  considerable 
sums  of  money  remaining  in  the  company  funds,  and  they  used 
these  resources  to  provide  entertainment.  Battery  after  battery 
held  turkey-suppers  in  their  mess-room,  and  then  finished  out  the 
evening  by  attending  the  burlesque.  A  few  wives  and  other 
relatives  visited  the  regiment  at  Mineola;  but  most  of  the  greetings 
came  by  mail,  telegraph  or  telephone.  Along  with  the  greetings 
were  a  flood  of  inquiries — where  was  John?  Sometimes  John  was 
in  the  barracks,  and  answered  the  inquiry  for  himself;  sometimes 
he  had  been  left  as  a  member  of  that  eleventh-hour  Quartermaster 
detail  at  Brest,  and  the  fact  had  to  be  explained.  In  other  cases 
(which  were  usually  referred  to  the  Chaplain  for  a  response)  John 
had  been  left  at  the  Pontanezen  hospital,  sick;  and  in  one  instance, 
alas!  he  would  never  come.  There  were  two  or  three  inquiries  for 
men  who  had  remained  behind  in  the  custody  of  the  disciplinary 
authorities — but  such  men  were  extremely  few  in  the  55th. 

Capt.  John  Stitt  appeared  on  Jan.  23,  accompanied  by  Mayor 
Charles  S.  Ashley  of  New  Bedford;  after  shaking  hands  with  the 
members  of  Bat.  D  (and  in  Capt.  Stitt's  case,  with  the  Supply  Co. 
also)  they  announced  that  the  City  of  New  Bedford  would  present 
each  of  its  soldiers  with  a  suit  of  civilian  clothes — and  a  little  later 
the  promise  was  fulfilled.  Photographs  were  made  of  each  unit  in 
the  regiment,  and  all  turned  out  well  except  the  picture  of  Head- 
quarters Co. 

The  principal  business  at  Camp  Mills  was  the  final  "delousing." 
The  men  had  gone  thru  the  process  at  Champcourt,  and  again  in 
Brest;  at  Mills,  it  was  "the  third  time  and  out."  This  process 
sometimes  failed  to  work  according  to  plans;  one  lieutenant,  who 
had  escaped  infection  entirely  while  in  France,  disturbed  his  fellow- 
roomers  during  the  night  of  Jan.  23  by  standing  up  on  his  cot  and 
inviting  information  as  to  what  was  the  matter  with  him  anyway. 
16 


242  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Drawing  off  the  upper  section  of  his  pink  silk  pajamas,  he  held  the 
garment  close  to  the  light — and  "read''  the  answer  to  his  question; 
he  had  brought  more  away  from  the  delousing  plant  than  he  had 
taken  to  it.  On  Jan.  24  Bat.  D  furnished  a  detail  of  forty  special 
M.  P.'s  for  duty  in  New  York  City — the  first  time  such  service 
was  ever  required  of  the  regiment;  owing  to  the  novelty  of  the 
experience,  the  men  rather  enjoyed  it  than  otherwise. 

Friends  in  Providence  and  Boston  sent  request  after  request  to 
the  War  Department,  that  the  55th  might  parade  in  the  home- 
streets;  but  this  was  not  to  be.  "Theirs  not  to  reason  why!" — 
the  men  and  their  friends  were  disappointed,  but  could  not  alter 
the  decision  in  Washington.  Meanwhile  the  Army  authorities 
evidently  had  trouble  deciding  what  they  would  do  with  the  com- 
mand. The  56th  had  gone  to  Fort  Totten  in  the  Coast  Defenses 
of  Eastern  New  York.  On  Jan.  25  the  regiment  received  four  suc- 
cessive telegraphic  orders  designating  four  different  posts  as  de- 
mobilization points — Camp  Devens,  Fort  Totten,  Fort  Hamilton, 
and  finally  Fort  H.  G.  Wright.  On  Sunday,  Jan.  26,  the  regiment 
bade  farewell  to  Camp  Mills,  and  journeyed  to  New  London,  Con- 
necticut, via  the  new  Hell  Gate  bridge  and  the  Shore  Line — they 
continued  the  rule  of  moving  on  Sunday  even  to  the  very  last. 
Transferring  at  3.30  p.  m.  to  the  Quartermaster  boats,  the  55th 
soon  found  themselves  established  in  comfortable  barracks  at  the 
forts  of  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Long  Island  Sound — Headquarters 
and  the  1st  Batl.  at  Fort  Wright,  and  the  2d  and  3d  Battalions, 
under  Maj.  Nestor,  at  Fort  Terry. 

Col.  Joseph  Matson,  the  Coast  Defense  Commander,  and  Maj. 
J.  P.  Leavenworth  (formerly  of  the  44th  Arty.),  the  Coast  Defense 
Adjutant,  were  two  of  the  finest  men  whom  the  regiment  ever  met. 
They  placed  all  their  resources  at  the  disposal  of  the  returned 
soldiers  and  did  everything  possible  to  render  the  latter  com- 
fortable; discipline  was  gently  enforced,  and  duties  were  light. 
One  restless  private  was  "a.  w.  o.  1."  six  days,  and  escaped  punish- 
ment merely  by  explaining  that  he  had  "missed  his  train."  Com- 
pany clerks  were  the  busiest  men  during  the  next  few  days,  as  they 
had  to  make  out  discharge  papers  and  to  complete  all  manner  of 
records.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  kept  up  a  series  of  highly  enjoyable 
entertainments  for  the  men;  and  the  batteries  conducted  great 
feasts,  in  their  effort  to  spend  the  last  of  their  funds.  Mrs.  Hanson 
of  Fishers  Island  presented  the  officers'  mess  with  two  delicious 
cakes,  as  her  contribution  to  the  welcome-home. 


Homeward  Bound— H,  M.  S,  ''Cretic"  243 

It  was  evident  that  Fort  Wright  would  be  the  nearest  the  regi- 
ment was  ever  to  go,  as  an  organization,  in  the  direction  of  home; 
it  was  impossible  to  alter  the  inevitable,  and  the  men  tried  to  make 
the  best  of  it.  Captains  Bettcher  and  Kircher  visited  their  old 
comrades  on  Jan.  28.  The  following  day  brought  Mayor  Melvin 
B.  Breath  of  Chelsea,  together  with  Mr.  Murdock,  Chairman  of  the 
Chelsea  welcoming  committee,  and  Mr.  James  C.  Deming — an 
event  quite  suggestive  of  Civil  War  days,  when  Mayor  Frank  B. 
Fay  of  Chelsea  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  tents  of  Co.  H,  the 
unit  now  known  as  the  Supply  Co.  When,  a  few  days  later,  the 
Chelsea  soldiers  actually  reached  home,  they  found  that  the  Mayor 
had  not  exaggerated  in  his  description  of  what  awaited  them; 
the  fire  alarm  sounded,  and  the  entire  city  turned  out  to  greet  its 
heroes.  Mr.  Charles  E.  Ware,  of  the  Mayor's  Committee  in  Bos- 
ton, kept  the  telephone  line  "warm"  between  Liberty  Cottage, 
on  the  Common,  and  Fort  Wright,  and  was  careful  to  have  a  Band 
at  the  South  Station,  and  a  reception  ready  on  the  Common, 
whenever  any  group  of  discharged  55th  men  reached  their  home 
city.  On  Jan.  30  the  regimental  vaudeville  artists  performed  in 
the  Fort  Wright  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  for  the  amusement  of  the  regular 
garrison;  the  same  day  Maj.  Nestor  held  a  review  of  the  2d  and  3d 
Battalions  at  Fort  Terry.  On  Sunday,  Feb.  2,  regimental  church 
service  was  held  for  the  last  time  at  Fort  Wright,  and  Holy  Com- 
munion was  administered;  in  spite  of  the  joy  over  home-going,  this 
hour  was  a  solemn  one.  On  the  same  day  Mr.  Walter  Hawkins 
of  the  Jordan  Marsh  firm  in  Boston  visited  Bat.  B,  where  many 
former  employees  of  the  company  were  serving,  and  along  with 
his  greetings  assured  each  man  that  his  old  "job''  was  waiting 
for  him;  this  promise  was  faithfully  kept  a  little  later.  On  Feb. 
4,  a  battalion  from  Fort  Wright,  under  command  of  Maj.  Smith, 
paraded  in  New  London,  as  part  of  the  welcoming  program  for 
men  of  the  56th,  whose  homes  were  there;  the  55th  were  glad  to 
make  this,  their  farewell  appearance,  in  honor  of  their  old-time 
companions  in  arms. 

Discharges  commenced  on  Feb.  4,  and  the  process  continued 
until  the  eleventh.  Ohio  men  departed  on  the  fourth ;  Pennsylvania 
and  Indiana  men  went  on  the  fifth,  and  also  married  soldiers  from 
Providence  and  Boston;  many  of  Batteries  B  and  C  were  released 
from  service  on  the  sixth,  and  also  the  South  Dakota  contingent; 
Bat.  D  started  for  home  on  the  seventh,  and  also  all  men  remain- 


244  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

ing  in  any  unit,  whose  homes  were  distant;  Bat.  F  journeyed  to 
Boston  on  the  eighth,  taking  with  them  a  bass-drum  which  they 
had  salvaged  along  the  course  of  their  travels;  Headquarters  Co., 
Supply  Co.  and  part  of  Bat.  E  left  Fort  Wright  on  the  ninth,  and 
the  last  two  met  enthusiastic  receptions  upon  arrival  respectively 
at  Chelsea  and  Providence;  i&nally,  on  Feb.  11,  the  Medical  De- 
tachment and  the  remainder  of  Batteries  B  and  E  departed.  De- 
mobilization was  finished.  As  a  regiment,  the  55th  were  never  to 
return  home;  but  for  all  soldiers  who  had  completed  their  term  of 
service,  the  homeward-journey  was  ended. 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  End 

IT  HAPPENS  that  our  history  will  have  no  "end'';  the  story 
can  only  halt  while  fresh  deeds  are  performed  and  additional 
laurels  are  won.  When  the  55th  seemed  to  be  nearing  the 
final  moments  of  their  career,  when  they  were  hastening  prepara- 
tions to  "turn  in"  their  property  and  cease  existence  as  a  corporate 
entity,  on  Jan.  29  they  were  astounded  to  receive  the  following 
telegram : 

"The  Secretary  of  War  has  this  day  approved  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Chief  of  Coast  Artillery  that  the  following  brigades  and 
regiments  be  not  disbanded  and  that  they  be  ordered  to  take 
station  as  follows: 

"Headquarters,  30th  Artillery  Brigade  (C.  A.  C),  Fort  Monroe, 
Va.  (Coast  Artillery  Training  Center). 

"42d,  43d,  52d  and  53d  Regiments  of  Artillery  (C.  A.  C),  Camp 
Eustis,  Va. 

"Headquarters,  31st  Artillery  Brigade  (C.  A.  C),  Fort  Winfield 
Scott,  California. 

"55th,  56th  and  57th  Regiments  to  the  Coast  Defenses  of  San 
Francisco. 

"Headquarters,  39th  Artillery  Brigade  (C.  A.  C),  Fort  Hamil- 
ton, N.  Y. 

"44th  and  51st  Regiments,  to  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Eastern 
New  York. 

"59th  Regiment,  to  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Southern  New  York." 

No  one  could  understand  what  was  intended.  Men  were  re- 
ceiving discharges  by  the  hundred,  and  yet  the  regiment  was  not 
to  be  disbanded;  the  facts  contradicted  the  assertion. 

The  truth  was  that  a  new  policy  had  been  adopted  by  the  War 
Department.  As  one  of  the  lessons  learned  from  the  war,  changes 
were  about  to  be  introduced  into  the  system  of  coast  defense,  and 
mobile  guns  were  to  be  a  regular  factor  in  the  protection  of  Ameri- 
can harbors.  A  brigade  of  railway  artillery  would  supplement  the 
batteries  of  Fort  Monroe,  a  brigade  of  howitzers  would  be  on  duty 
in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and  a  brigade  of  155's  would  be 
stationed  at  San  Francisco. 


246  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

The  plan  possessed  a  further  element  of  novelty.  While  six  of 
the  ten  designated  regiments  were  Regular  Army  units  who  might 
normally  be  expected  to  continue  in  service,  either  collectively  or 
individually,  the  other  four  were  essentially  National  Guard  regi- 
ments who  were  expecting  discharge.  At  the  same  time  as  the 
War  Department  undertook  to  retain  motorized  coast  artillery 
permanently  in  the  coast  defenses,  they  made  a  beginning  of 
taking  certain  units  of  National  Guard  origin  into  the  Regular 
Army.  Two  months  later  an  order  issued  defining  more  fully  the 
new  plan,  and  naming  fourteen  entire  divisions  of  the  National 
Guard  or  National  Army,  which  were  to  become  divisions  of  the 
regular  establishment.  It  was  announced  that  the  Government  de- 
sired to  perpetuate  the  records  of  these  units — the  records  would 
be  an  asset  in  encouraging  esprit  de  corps;  during  future  years, 
soldiers  would  fight  with  greater  determination  if  they  felt  that 
they  were  expected  to  maintain  the  record  of  the  '' Yankee '^  or 
the  "  Rainbow '^  Division.  Furthermore  the  new  plan  introduced 
an  element  of  territorial  interest;  decades  hence  the  101st  Infantry 
would  continue  to  be  known  as  "Boston^s  Own"  and  would  always 
command  the  especial  support  of  Boston  people. 

It  thus  became  evident  that  a  great  compliment  had  been  paid 
to  the  55th  in  their  designation  as  a  permanent  part  of  the  Regular 
Army.  They  had  been  selected  as  one  of  the  four  National  Guard 
coast  artillery  regiments  which  most  deserved  to  have  their  records 
perpetuated  along  with  those  of  the  regulars.  And  they  were 
chosen  as  the  representative  ^'Boston  artillery''  unit  about  which 
the  sentimental  regard  of  New  England  people  would  most  readily 
cluster.  While  fourteen  entire  divisions  were  to  be  accorded  this 
honor  two  months  later,  the  four  regiments  of  coast  artillery  were 
first  in  receiving  it.  Owing  to  lack  of  appropriations,  the  divisions 
were  unable  to  enter  at  once  into  their  new  estate  even  after  the 
orders  had  issued;  and  the  plan  was  merely  a  promise  so  far  as 
they  were  concerned.  The  coast  artillery,  on  the  other  hand, 
transferred  their  regimental  existence  into  the  Regular  Army 
channels  without  a  break. 

If  the  55th  appreciated  the  distinction  which  was  conferred  upon 
them,  they  did  not  equally  enjoy  the  assignment  which  accompanied 
it.  Men  who  had  served  on  the  Pacific  Coast  reported  that  Fort 
Scott  was  a  highly  desirable  post,  and  that  the  regiment  were 
fortunate.    But  Boston  men,  who  had  been  away  from  home  ten 


The  End  247 

continuous  months  and  were  suffering  keenly  from  nostalgia,  felt 
that  San  Francisco  was  three  thousand  miles  distant  from  the 
scenes  which  they  desired  to  see.  When,  right  in  the  midst  of 
granting  discharges  to  those  who  had  completed  their  term  of 
enlistment,  the  regiment  received  orders  to  pack  the  freight  and 
baggage  for  shipment  to  Fort  Scott,  they  indulged  in  a  very  nega- 
tive rejoicing. 

On  Feb.  11,  after  all  the  departing  ones  had  gone,  the  morning 
report  revealed  the  following  remnant,  who  were  ready  for  transfer 
to  the  Pacific  Coast: 


Ofl&cers 

9 

N.  C.  0. 

Men 

Total 

Headquarters  Co. 

35 

31 

66 

A 

24 

45 

69 

B 

4 

5 

9 

C 

17 

26 

43 

D 

1 

3 

4 

E 

3 

0 

3 

F 

2 

0 

2 

Supply  Co. 

2 

4 

6 

Medical  Dept. 

1 

'       2 

3 

Total  enlisted 

89 

116 

205 

Some  of  these  were  granted  leaves,  while  others  took  leave 
without  waiting  to  have  it  granted;  when  the  regiment  actually 
entrained  at  New  London,  they  numbered  170  men  and  9  officers. 
One  officer  was  absent,  but  his  place  was  filled  by  a  new  arrival, 
Capt.  Charles  H.  E.  Scheer.  While  the  batteries  carried  with  them 
the  records  of  the  ancient  National  Guard  companies  out  of  which 
they  had  been  constituted,  they  were  compelled  to  admit  that 
they  did  not  retain  much  else  beside  the  records.  On  Feb.  11,  Cpl. 
Arthur  J.  Pelletier  gravely  (and  truthfully)  announced  that  he  was 
Bat.  F,  the  Boston  Fusiliers.  The  only  units  retaining  any  con- 
siderable personnel  were  those  which  came  originally  from  the 
Regular  Army — and  they  possessed  this  distinction  merely  be- 
cause their  men  had  not  completed  their  terms  of  enlistment,  and 
were  not  eligible  for  discharge.  The  regiment  carried  with  them 
the  stand  of  colors  which  they  had  received  from  the  Government. 

All  that  remained  of  the  2d  and  3d  Battalions  moved  to  Fort 
Wright  on  Feb.  11  and  joined  their  comrades.  Four  days  later  the 
regiment  received  the  following  order: 


248  The  Fifly-fiflh  Artillery 

"  Headquarters 
"  Coast  Defenses  of  Long  Island  Sound 
"FortH.  G.Wright,  N.Y. 

"February  15,  1919. 
"Special  Orders,  | 
No.  38  3 

"1.  Pursuant  to  instructions  from  A.  G.  O.,  and  Department 
and  District  Commanders,  transmitted  by  letter  M.  A.  C.  A.  D. 
(370.54-55th),  dated  February  12,  1919,  the  55th  Artillery  (CAC) 
will  proceed  on  or  about  February  17,  1919,  to  the  Coast  Defenses 
of  San  Francisco,  San  Francisco,  California,  reporting  to  C.  D. 
Commander. 

"  The  Quartermaster  Corps  will  furnish  the  necessary  transporta- 
tion and  garrison  rations  to  include  February  28,  1919. 
"The  travel  directed  is  necessary  in  the  military  service. 
"By  order  of  Colonel  Matson: 

"J.  P.  LEAVENWORTH, 
"Major,  C.  A. 
"Acting  Adjutant. 
On  Monday,  Feb.  17,  the  regiment  left  New  London,  occupying 
69  upper  and  77  lower  berths  in  the  sleeping  cars;  they  made  their 
way  westward  along  the  following  route:  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  R.  R. 
to  Springfield;  B.  &  A.  R.  R.  to  Albany;  N.  Y.  C.  R.  R.  to  Chicago; 
C,  R.  I.  &  P.  R.  R.  to  Colorado  Springs;  D.  &  R.  G.  R.  R.  to  Salt 
Lake  City;  and  W.  P.  R.  R.  to  Oakland.  This  proved  to  be  one 
of  the  most  marvelous  scenic  journeys  in  the  world,  and  the 
opportunity  of  seeing  the  wonders  of  their  own  home-land,  and 
contrasting  the  endless  stretches  of  mountain  and  prairie,  the 
"purple  mountain  majesties  above  the  fruited  plain,"  with  the 
vineyards,  poplars  and  red-roofed  villages  of  France,  was  appre- 
ciated. Now  with  full  understanding,  the  55th  decreed  that 
America  was  indeed  a  country  "worth  fighting  for."  Red  Cross 
canteens  manifested  their  beneficent  presence  at  each  important 
station;  and  proved  to  be  even  better  equipped  and  more  kindly 
disposed  than  were  the  canteens  nearer  the  battle-field.  The  good 
ladies  of  Colorado  Springs  were  so  cordial  that  they  induced  in  the 
soldiers  a  momentary  forgetfulness  of  the  ever-present  homesick- 
ness; as  there  were  fifteen  members  of  the  Band  with  the  regiment, 
a  street-parade  was  organized;  and  the  men,  in  this  manner,  ex- 
pressed their  thanks.   A  prolonged  stop  was  made  at  Salt  Lake  City. 


The  End  249 

On  Sunday,  Feb.  23,  the  train  pulled  into  the  Oakland  station  and 
deposited  the  passengers  at  the  ferry-slip;  ladies  of  San  Francisco 
were  all  ready  with  good  things  to  eat  and  kind  words,  and  at- 
tempted to  render  this,  the  final  Red  Cross  welcome,  heartier  than 
any  which  had  preceded  it.  These  good  friends  did  not  fully  under- 
stand that  their  guests  were  unwilling  pilgrims  to  the  Coast — indeed 
they  could  not  grasp  the  thought  that  anyone  should  be  otherwise 
than  glad  over  the  privilege  of  moving  to  California — and  they 
welcomed  the  55th  ''home J' 

A  Quartermaster  steamer  took  everyone  on  board,  and  soon 
deposited  them  at  the  Fort  Scott  Government  wharf.  The  55th 
reported  to  Col.  Alfred  M.  Hunter,  Coast  Defense  Commander, 
and  were  quartered  in  some  temporary  barracks  at  the  Golden 
Gate  under  the  shadow  of  Tamalpais;  their  journey  was  completed. 
They  found  as  neighbors  the  57th  and  59th  Regiments,  and  learned 
that  an  "eleventh  hour"  substitution  had  been  made  by  which  the 
59th  took  the  place  of  the  56th  in  the  31st  Brigade.  In  total  strength 
the  55th  were  slightly  exceeded  by  the  57th,  while  they  surpassed 
the  59th.  Twenty-four  155  G.  P.  F.'s  and  an  equal  number  of  ten- 
ton  caterpillar  tractors  were  issued  to  the  regiment;  one  of  the  guns 
proved  to  be  an  old  friend,  the  "Strong"  of  Bat.  F.  A  serious 
impediment  to  mobile  artillery  operations  existed  in  the  fact  that 
California  state  roads  were  too  good  for  use  by  tractors;  the  regiment 
eventually  had  to  haul  their  guns  by  trucks  (two  to  a  gun)  in  order 
to  move  without  doing  damage  to  the  highways. 

Some  of  the  men  who  had  been  absent  reported  for  duty  during 
the  next  two  weeks.  Meanwhile  almost  everyone  attempted  to 
"transfer"  back  to  Boston,  or  failing  that,  to  secure  a  discharge; 
in  time  many  of  them  succeeded.  Six  months  later,  the  strength 
of  the  command  was  down  to  less  than  one  hundred;  while  at  the 
same  time,  a  visit  to  Boston  Harbor  would  have  revealed  the 
presence  of  many  famihar  faces — including  nine  members  of  the 
55th  Band  playing  at  Fort  Warren  under  their  original  designation 
as  the  10th  Band,  C.  A.  C.  Of  the  overseas  ofiicers,  only  Col. 
Dusenbury,  Captains  Blaney,  Clancy,  Hirsch  and  Reynolds,  and 
Lt.  Ranger  remained.  Col.  Dusenbury  commanded.  Col.  Roberts 
having  transferred  into  the  Quartermaster  Corps  and  been  stationed 
at  Camp  Lewis,  Washington;  Capt.  Blaney  had  been  commander 
of  Batteries  B,  D,  E,  F,  the  Supply  Co.,  the  Ordnance  Detachment 
and  the  Medical  Detachment,  but  had  recently  passed  the  command 


250  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

of  the  four  batteries  over  to  Capt.  Hirsch  and  the  Supply  Co.  to  a 
new-comer,  Maj.  Roth.  Capt.  McKenna  was  at  Fort  Scott  as  an 
officer  in  the  57th  Arty.  Gen.  Wm.  C.  Davis  commanded  the  31st 
Brigade. 

Highway  difficulties  produced  their  effect  by  the  last  of  Sept., 
1919,  and  brought  about  a  transfer  of  station  for  the  31st  Brigade. 
All  three  regiments  moved  to  Camp  Lewis,  American  Lake,  Wash- 
ington, and  established  themselves  there ;  they  had  Tacoma  as  their 
nearest  urban  neighbor— and  maneuvered  thru  the  region  over  which 
Mt.  Rainier  presides.  It  is  best  for  us  to  take  our  leave  of  the 
beloved  regiment  at  this  time,  before  the  ranks  were  recruited  up 
with  strangers — the  55th  continued  at  Camp  Lewis  as  a  perpetual 
object  of  interest  and  affection  on  the  part  of  the  folk  back  home, 
an  outstation  of  Boston  and  Providence  in  the  Pacific  Northwest. 

A  few  events  in  Boston  properly  fall  within  the  purview  of  this 
chapter. 

When  the  ladies  of  Winthrop,  and  Jordan  Marsh  Company  pre- 
sented the  colors  to  the  regiment,  they  stipulated  that  their  gifts 
should  be  placed  in  the  custody  of  the  Commonwealth  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  In  fulfilment  of  this  condition,  on  Feb.  13  Col.  Roberts 
sent  the  colors  to  the  State  House  on  Beacon  Hill  in  charge  of 
Chaplain  Cutler  and  Lt.  Rose.  When  the  ladies  learned  that  the 
silken  emblems  of  valor  were  home  again,  they  consulted  with  their 
friend,  Col.  James  F.  Howell,  then  of  Fort  Banks,  and  arranged  a 
series  of  ceremonies  in  honor  of  the  55th.  Silver  plates  were  pre- 
pared by  the  Colonel  and  affixed  to  the  pikes,  giving  the  names  of 
the  battles  in  which  the  regiment  participated.  The  War  Depart- 
ment had  not  yet  issued  its  official  list  of  "major  operations''  as  a 
guide  in  preparing  such  inscriptions;  the  Colonel  had  to  use  his  own 
judgment,  and  in  conformity  therewith  credited  us  with  "The 
Marne,"  the  " Meuse-Argonne "  and  "St.  Mihiel."  The  latter  was 
an  error,  due  to  Col.  Howell's  confusing  the  55th  with  a  battalion 
of  the  57th. 

Mrs.  Charles  E.  Cowan  of  Winthrop  and  Mr.  Walter  A.  Hawkins, 
a  director  of  the  Jordan  Marsh  Company,  together  arranged  a 
public  reception  to  the  colors  at  the  store  on  Apr.  24,  as  a  recogni- 
tion of  the  large  number  of  Jordan  Marsh  employees  who  served  in 
the  55th. 

The  plan  was  in  keeping  with  the  wishes  of  the  management  of 
the  firm  to  pay  especial  honor  to  the  flags;  and  a  large  number  of 


The  End  251 

parents,  relatives  and  friends  of  the  men  of  the  regiment  assembled 
in  the  afternoon;  and  a  patriotic  program  suitable  to  the  occasion 
was  carried  out,  Mr.  Hawkins  acting   as  master  of   ceremonies. 
Col.  James  F.  Howell  was  a  guest  of  honor. 
The  following  program  was  rendered: 

WELCOMING   THE   FLAG   OF   THE   55tH  ARTILLERY,    C.    A.    C. 

Thursday,  April  24,  1919,  at  2  p.  m. 

JORDAN    MARSH   COMPANY 


PROGRAM 

1. 

Orchestra  Selection 

(  Cpl  L.  Dohle 

2. 

Song  by  "55th  Trio'' 

<  Pvt.  G.  U.  Margeson 
(  Pvt.  Wm.  A.  Viscounte 

3. 

Introductory  Remarks  by 

Mr,  W.  A.  Hawkins 

4. 

Address 

Col.  Howell 

5. 

Vocal  Selection 

Mrs.  Woodcock 

6. 

Sword  Dance 

Miss  Delaney 

7. 

Vocal  Selection 

G.  W.  Margeson 

Remarks 

Chaplain  Cutler 

8. 

Vocal  Selection 

L.  Dohle 

9. 

Song  by  "55th  Trio'' 

10. 

Star-Spangled  Banner 

Mr.  Hawkins  alluded  to  the  pride  which  every  member  of  the 
firm  and  its  executive  staff  felt  in  the  history  of  the  regiment,  and 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  Cpl.  Doble  of  Bat.  A  and  1st 
Sgt.  John  O.  Brown  had  met  the  preceding  day  for  the  first  time 
since  the  corporal  was  shot  through  the  chest,  and  that  until  this 
meeting  Sgt.  Brown  had  supposed  the  corporal  was  dead.  The 
corporal,  despite  the  nature  of  his  wound,  sang  in  a  trio  made  up  of 
Jordan  Marsh  Company  men  of  the  regiment  and  gave  several 
tenor  solos  in  a  particularly  strong,  clear  voice. 

Col.  Howell  declared  that  the  55th  was  a  "happy  regiment," 
and  they  never  considered  whether  an  officer  was  a  "regular," 
National  Guardsman,  provisional  officer  or  reservist,  any  more 
than  they  did  whether  the  men  were  from  the  Regular  Army,  the 
militia  or  recently  enlisted.  He  commented  on  the  beauty  of  the 
colors  presented  by  the  Winthrop  women  and  "this  patriotic 
New  England  firm,"  and  said  it  was  the  first  silken  set  to  be  carried 


252  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

across  the  seas,  altho  other  organizations  had  silk  banners  later. 

Col.  Howell  read  an  honor  roll  of  the  men  of  the  regiment  who 
were  killed  in  action  or  who  died  of  wounds. 

He  also  gave  an  impressive  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  regiment, 
which  participated  in  the  battles  of  Very,  Cheppy,  Montf aucon,  the 
second  battle  of  the  Marne  and  was  in  the  center  of  the  Meuse- 
Argonne  drive,  with  the  5th  Corps. 

The  regiment  was  cited  for  efficiency  and  gallantry  in  the  Argonne 
Offensive,  by  both  the  French  and  American  commanders,  and 
Col.  Howell  read  the  citation. 

"Lt.  Frederick  M.  Cutler,  chaplain  of  the  55th,  arrived  during  the 
proceedings  and  was  called  on  for  a  speech.  He  spoke  of  the  fact 
that  the  regiment  was  not  of  the  Yankee  Division,  altho  that 
division  took  400  of  its  best  men.  He  said  he  would  be  in  a  grand 
stand  tomorrow  (for  the  YD  parade),  and  would  remember  that 
there  was  one  bunch  not  in  the  parade,  but  which  was  just  as 
good  as  any  that  was,  and  had  just  as  good  friends — a  sally  that 
brought  down  the  house' ^ — according  to  the  "Herald''  report. 

The  colors  were  trooped  during  the  final  singing  of  the  National 
anthem,  the  audience  standing,  the  officers  and  soldiers  at  salute. 

Mr.  Hawkins  thanked  all  for  their  participation  in  the  exercises 
and  invited  them  to  inspect  the  "arch  of  victory"  which  the 
management  had  erected  on  the  first  floor  in  memory  of  the  Jordan 
Marsh  Company  heroes. 

At  10  A.  M.  on  May  1,  the  colors  were  officially  presented  to  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  Col.  Howell  representing  the 
regiment  in  the  absence  of  Col.  Roberts. 

The  ceremony  took  place  in  the  Hall  of  Flags,  State  House,  and 
among  those  present  were  several  members  of  the  group  of  women 
of  Winthrop  who  donated  the  colors. 

Col.  Howell,  in  presenting  the  colors,  said: 

*'The  55th  Artillery  is  a  New  England  organization  and  with  the 
exception  of  one  battery,  primarily  a  Massachusetts  organization. 

"A  majority  of  the  commissioned  and  enlisted  personnel  was 
furnished  by  the  Coast  Artillery  Corps  of  Massachusetts.  Four 
units  were  organized  from  this  source.  Three  units  were  formed 
from  the  Regular  Army  stationed  for  years  in  the  Coast  Defenses 
of  Boston,  one  unit  from  the  National  Guard  of  Rhode  Island  and 
the  remainder  of  the  regimental  quota  from  Massachusetts  men  en- 
listing for  the  period  of  the  war.    It  is  therefore  most  appropriate 


The  End  253 

that  the  colors  of  this  regiment  should  be  deposited  with  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts  and  displayed  in  the  Hall  of  Flags 
with  the  honored  flags  of  other  Massachusetts  military  organiza- 
tions. 

''The  colors  deserve  a  place  in  this  honored  company.  The 
regiment  was  among  the  first  to  go  into  the  front  lines,  where  it 
remained  without  relief  through  the  second  battle  of  the  Marne 
and  the  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive,  a  period  of  about  three  months 
of  active  hostilities.  During  this  time  the  regiment  is  credited  with 
firing  some  33,000  rounds  of  six-inch  projectiles,  a  total  weight  of 
metal  of  3,000,000  pounds. 

"The  regiment  suffered  some  severe  losses  at  Montfaucon  and 
other  battles  that  have  become  historic.  I  am  proud  of  the  fact 
that  I  organized  the  55th  Artillery  and  received  the  flags  from  the 
devoted  friends  of  the  organization.  The  patriotic  women  of 
Winthrop  presented  us  with  our  regimental  colors  and  the  Jordan 
Marsh  Company  gave  us  the  National  colors,  many  of  its  em- 
ployees having  come  into  the  organization. 

"The  colors  accompanied  us  throughout  our  period  of  active 
service.^' 

"  It  is  with  a  feeling  of  reverence  that  I  accept  these  flags  on  behalf 
of  the  Commonwealth,  realizing,  as  I  do,  that  their  return  repre- 
sents the  sacrifices  of  men  who  went  forth  from  Massachusetts  to 
fight  for  ideals,"  said  Gov.  Calvin  Coolidge. 

"These  flags  form  fitting  companions  for  the  colors  of  Massachu- 
setts soldiers  who  fought  at  Gettysburg,  Chancellorsville  and  at 
San  Juan  Hill,"  continued  the  Governor.  "Here  in  the  Hall  of 
Flags,  the  presence  of  the  standards  of  the  men  of  1917-18,  entwined 
with  those  of  '98  and  '61,  will  serve  as  a  stimulus  to  the  patriotism 
of  coming  generations  and  inspire  them  to  act  as  worthily  in  up- 
holding their  honor  as  the  soldiers  of  to-day  and  yesterday  have 
acted." 

The  Governor  also  expressed  thanks  to  the  women  of  Winthrop 
for  their  thoughtfulness  in  giving  the  colors  to  the  regiment. 

Flag  Day,  June  14,  was  the  date  set  for  the  "Return  of  the 
Colors"  of  all  Massachusetts  regiments  who  had  served  in  the  war 
with  Germany.  At  11  a.  m.  the  color-guards  of  twenty-three  differ- 
ent regimental  or  battalion  units  assembled  on  Beacon  St.,  marched 
up  the  great  front  steps,  and  were  received  by  Gov.  Coolidge  in  the 
Hall  of  Flags.    The  ceremony  was  a  repetition,  on  a  large  scale,  of 


254  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

the  May  1  presentation;  and  Col.  Howell  again  represented  the 
55th. 

In  the  meanwhile  other  events  occurred  which  were  of  interest  to 
the  55th.  While  the  City  of  Boston  was  engaged  in  receiving  the 
Yankee  Division,  on  Apr.  11,  someone  happened  to  remember  that 
certain  Boston  National  Guardsmen  had  served  outside  the  ranks 
of  the  26th  Division,  and  had  fought  as  creditably  as  did  those 
who  were  receiving  the  public  acclaim.  Accordingly  a  special 
performance  of  "The  Rainbow  Girl"  was  advertized  at  the  Tre- 
mont  Theater,  the  announcement  reading,  "Free  tickets  for  the 
YD  and  the  55th  Arty.'' 

Many  cities  and  towns  held  "welcome  home"  celebrations,  in 
which  veterans  of  the  55th  participated.  Of  the  localities  which 
had  not  contributed  entire  companies  to  the  regiment,  perhaps 
Worcester  was  the  residence  of  most  55th  men;  in  the  parade  on 
May  1  at  the  "Heart  of  the  Commonwealth,"  sixty  such  veterans 
took  part,  constituting  two  entire  platoons. 

Part  of  the  "welcome  home"  celebration  in  Lynn  on  May  16 
consisted  in  renaming  certain  city  squares  and  dedicating  them  as 
memorials  of  Lynn  soldiers  who  had  died  overseas.  Village  Square, 
at  the  junction  of  Essex,  Fayette  and  Mason  Sts.  in  East  Lynn,  was 
one  of  those  selected  for  the  purpose  and  was  redesignated  "Law 
Square" — in  honor  of  Wag.  Harold  A.  Law,  Supply  Co.,  55th  Arty., 
who  had  been  killed  at  Montfaucon,  Oct.  14,  1918.  Law's  father, 
mother  and  other  near  relatives  sat  with  the  city  officials  on  the 
special  speakers'  stand,  surrounded  by  a  blaze  of  bunting  and 
flooded  with  electric  light  (the  event  occurred  in  the  evening). 
Speeches  were  made  by  Councillor  George  L.  Robinson,  Capt. 
John  A.  Stitt,  Mrs.  Harriet  A.  Bray  ("Mother"  and  teacher  of  the 
Baraca  Bible  Class  in  St.  Paul's  M.  E.  Church,  to  which  Law 
belonged),  Chaplain  Cutler,  Councillor  S.  Walter  McDonough  and 
others;  Miss  Helen  Blake  sang  the  "Star-Spangled  Banner,"  ac- 
companied by  the  band,  and  Mayor  Walter  H.  Creamer  performed 
the  dedicatory  exercizes.  An  extract  was  read  from  one  of  Law's 
letters: 

"  No  matter  how  serious  or  how  sad  is  the  situation,  a  bunch  of 
fellows  can  always  have  fun,  and  you  can  just  bet  we  had  our  fun. 
Even  when  it  was  so  dark  that  my  assistant  had  to  lie  on  the  hood 
of  the  engine  so  that  he  could  see  the  road  and  direct  me  the  way  to 
go."    Then  he  added,  "To  make  this  a  perfect  day  I  have  just  had 


The  End  255 

a  letter  from  home,  and  have  also  been  told  that  we  have  a  great 
supper  coming.  What  more  could  a  fellow  expect  under  the  cir- 
cumstances? A  letter  from  my  mother  to  gladden  my  heart,  a 
bath  in  a  tin  pail  to  take  off  the  dirt,  and  a  good  feed  to 
make  the  inner  man  feel  good.  That's  what  I  call  a  near 
perfect  day." 

Pvt.  Sylvester  S.  Payne  of  Bat.  E  was  similarly  honored  in  his 
home  city.  Providence.  His  comrades  organized  themselves  into 
a  Post  of  the  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars,  and  named  the  new  body 
the  Sylvester  S.  Payne  Post. 

When  the  discharged  members  of  the  regiment  reached  Boston, 
they  naturally  revisited  their  old  military  home,  the  South  Armory. 
To  their  gratification  they  found  that  Headquarters'  room  remained 
just  as  they  had  left  it  two  years  before,  with  each  familiar  and 
beloved  picture  in  its  place  on  the  walls.  In  fact,  the  room  looked 
better  than  usual,  for  it  had  received  a  thoro  cleaning.  Inquiry 
brought  out  the  fact  that  Col.  Charles  Pfaff,  former  commander  of 
the  Old  First,  had  become  Colonel  of  the  11th  Regiment  of  State 
Guard,  with  Headquarters  at  the  South  Armory,  and  had  made  it 
his  business  to  keep  our  old  home  looking  as  we  would  have  wished 
it  to  appear. 

The  Coast  Artillery  Auxiliary  gave  a  reception  and  ball  on  Friday 
evening.  May  23,  in  the  South  Armory,  to  the  returned  members 
of  the  Massachusetts  Coast  Artillery;  as  the  Boston  Mayor's  Com- 
mittee and  Jordan  Marsh  Company  and  several  of  the  Company 
Veteran  Associations  cooperated  in  bearing  the  burdens  connected 
with  finance  and  management,  they  succeeded  in  rendering  the  night 
one  long  to  be  remembered.  Historical  inscriptions  hung  on  the 
walls  of  the  great  drill-shed,  yoking  together  the  record  of  the  Civil 
War  with  that  made  in  the  more  recent  conflict;  Cushing's  C.  A. 
Band  alternated  with  an  orchestra  in  providing  music;  and  dainty 
refreshments  were  served.  The  bare  walls  had  blossomed  into  an 
expanse  of  patriotic  decoration.  The  program  comprized  a  concert, 
community  singing,  a  reception  by  the  officers  of  the  Auxiliary,  a 
review  of  the  war  veterans  under  command  of  Col.  George  F. 
Quinby,  and  an  address  of  welcome  by  Gen.  Walter  E.  Lombard, 
president  of  the  AuxiHary.  Three  hundred  and  four  officers  and 
men  stood  in  line  to  receive  Gen.  Lombard's  greetings — two  hundred 
of  them  veterans  of  the  55th.  When  the  fighting  coast  artillerymen 
passed  in  review,  they  caused  a  thrill  in  the  hearts  of  their  friends 


256  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

who  thronged  the  room.  After  the  formal  program  came  dancing, 
and  continued  until  the  "wee  sma'  hours." 

An  anniversary  dinner  was  given  by  the  Honorary  Members 
Association  of  the  New  Bedford  City  Guards  on  July  28  in  honor  of 
the  Old  Fourth  Company,  C.  A.  C,  which  had  become  Bat.  D,  55th 
Artillery.  After  an  elaborate  meal,  there  were  community  singing, 
and  speeches  by  Mayor  Charles  S.  Ashley  of  New  Bedford,  Maj. 
Joseph  L.  Gibbs,  Maj.  Walter  B.  Smith,  Chaplain  Cutler  and  Capt. 
John  A.  Stitt.    The  evening  concluded  with  dancing. 

"Farewell!  farewell!'^  Farewell  to  the  55th,  as  they  renew 
their  strength  and  carry  on  the  regimental  traditions  beside  Mt. 
Rainier!    Farewell  to  the  veterans  who  "fought  the  good  fight.'' 


First  State  Camp  of  Old  First.  Neponset,   1849 


The  South  Armory,   Boston — Home 


Col.  George  F.  Quinby 


Our  Gettyhburc,  Monument 


'OUT    AlONKOE    (IN    1801) 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  "Old  First"  Massachusetts  Regiment 

ORGANIZED  Mch.  22,  1784,  the  Old  First  are  the  second 
oldest  military  body  with  continuous  history  in  the 
United  States  and  absolutely  the  oldest  National  Guard 
unit.  In  the  most  recent  form  they  represent  a  consolidation  of 
the  1st  Artillery  or  Infantry  of  Boston,  the  "Tiger"  1st,  and  the 
"Cape"  Regiment.  Certain  officers  appear  on  the  roster  in  this 
volume  as  commanders  of  Batteries  B,  D,  F  and  the  Supply  Co. 
of  the  55th;  the  antiquity  of  these  Old  First  units  is  evident  from 


ilSi^ 


1J84 


IMS 

How  THE  Regiment  Looked 


the  fact  that  Capt.  Fred  R.  Robinson  was  the  twenty-second 
commander  of  Bat.  B  (the  11th  Co.,  Mass.  C.  A.),  Capt.  Thomas 
W.  Clifford  was  twenty-fourth  in  Bat.  D  (the  4th  Co.),  Capt. 
Edward  A.  Kircher  was  forty-first  in  Bat.  F  (the  3d  Co.),  and 
Capt.  Ralph  W.  Wilson  was  twenty-third  in  the  Supply  Co.  (the 
5th  Co.). 

The  Old  First  were  always  a  Volunteer  or  National  Guard 
organization  and  must  be  carefully  distinguished  on  the  one  hand 
from  the  train-band  or  drafted  men,  and  on  the  other  from  the 
regulars.  The  train-band  rendered  such  military  service  as  the 
law  compelled,  and  did  not  wear  distinctive  clothing;  the  Volun- 
17 


258  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

teers  or  National  Guard  went  beyond  this  and,  in  addition  to  it, 
uniformed  themselves  (originally  at  their  own  expense),  drilled 
frequently,  and  held  themselves  in  readiness  for  parades  and 
ceremonies  and,  in  sterner  vein,  for  disturbance  of  the  peace  and 
for  war.  "Plattsburg'^  enthusiasts  will  be  interested  to  know  that 
the  Massachusetts  Volunteers  instituted  a  "training  school  for 
officers"  as  early  as  1810 — and  maintained  it. 

The  train-band  continued  active  at  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War;  but  after  the  year  1815  fell  into  decay,  and  became  a 
subject  of  ridicule.  Members  of  this  "corn  stalk  militia"  attended 
semi-annual  muster  in  outrageously  improper  clothing,  armed 
with  sticks,  pitchforks,  or  nothing  at  all,  and  obviously  treated 
this  aspect  of  their  patriotic  duty  as  a  gigantic  bit  of  buffoonery. 
Courage  was  required  to  abate  the  long-standing  abuse;  New  York 
continued  to  endure  the  train-band  until  1862;  Massachusetts 
faced  the  condition  with  greater  determination,  and  on  Apr. 
17,  1840,  aboUshed  the  system.  Thereafter  the  Volunteer  com- 
panies were  the  only  mihtary  force  existing  in  the  Commonwealth. 
A  draft  law  was  enacted  and  enforced  in  the  Southern  States 
after  May  1,  1862;  but  the  North  continued  to  resent  the  very 
thought  of  conscription — only  2%  of  the  forces  fighting  for  the 
Union  in  the  Civil  War  were  drafted  men.  It  was  not  until  June 
5,  1917,  that  the  United  States  undertook  seriously  to  revive  the 
draft — results  then  were  so  gloriously  successful  that  no  one  ever 
suggested  the  historic  connection  (which  actually  existed)  between 
the  old  train-band  and  the  new  National  Army. 

Why  was  it  necessary  for  the  Old  First  to  organize?  Could 
not  the  Regular  Army  afford  America  sufficient  protection  in 
1784?  Regular  Army!  So  far  as  Congress  could  control  the 
matter,  there  was  no  Regular  Army  in  1784.  Only  a  single  com- 
pany, which  appeared  to  have  been  overlooked  by  the  muster- 
ing-out  officer,  existed — and  was  the  entire  army.  This  company, 
Bat.  F  of  the  3d  F.  Arty.,  is  alone  senior  to  the  Old  First.  More- 
over the  situation  became  only  slightly  better  later;  in  1787  there 
were  only  1,200  regulars;  in  1798,  2,100;  and  at  the  opening  of  the 
Civil  War,  with  a  National  area  almost  equal  to  the  present,  less 
than  10,000.  America  always  depended  upon  her  Volunteers  or 
National  Guard.  The  situation  was  relatively  the  same  at  the 
outset  of  the  World  War;  on  Apr.  6,  1917,  there  were  only  5,791 
regular  officers  and  121,797  enlisted  men.    Amongst  the  troops 


The  ''Old  FirsV^  Massachusetts  Regiment  259 

who  actually  bore  the  brunt  of  battle  with  Germany,  there  were 
eleven  divisions  of  National  Guard  and  only  five  divisions  of  regulars 
(besides  nine  National  Army  Divisions). 

Notable  names  amongst  former  generations  of  the  Old  First's 
membership  were  Maj.  John  James  Spooner,  merchant  and  clergy- 
man, first  Commander  (1784);  Brig.  Gen.  John  Winslow  who 
increased  it  to  an  entire  brigade  for  a  season  ("the  Legionary 
Brigade,"  1799);  Col.  John  L.  White,  proprietor  of  the  Union 
House,  who  became  the  first  Colonel  (1834) ;  Col.  Robert  Cowdin, 
the  great  Civil  War  Colonel  (1850);  Cpl.  Nathaniel  M.  Allen 
who  was  awarded  the  Congressional  medal  of  honor  for  saving 
the  regimental  colors  at  Gettysburg;  Col.  Austin  C.  Wellington 
under  whom  the  regiment  successfully  adapted  itself  to  modern 
conditions  (1882);  and  Col.  Walter  E.  Lombard  (1910)  who  de- 
served so  large  a  share  of  credit  for  preparing  the  command  for 
the  World  War  and  who,  during  the  war,  rendered  indispensable 
service  as  president  of  the  Coast  Artillery  Auxiliary  in  Boston. 

Besides  participating  in  the  War  of  1814,  the  Civil  War,  the 
War  with  Spain  and  the  World  War,  the  regiment  responded 
twelve  times  to  the  call  of  the  Commonwealth  and  assisted  in 
maintaining  public  order;  in  Civil  War  days  the  1,200  militiamen 
of  the  First  expanded  their  numbers  and  became  7,500  volunteers. 
First  as  the  regiment  were  in  name,  they  took  care  also  to  main- 
tain a  position  of  primacy  in  fact:  They  were  first  in  seniority; 
from  them  went  several  companies  of  the  first  "Minute  Men  of 
'61";  a  company  not  yet  transferred  out  of  the  First  (the  Washing- 
ton Light  Guards  or  7th  Co.,  presently  to  become  Co.  K,  6th  Inf.) 
suffered  the  initial  bloodshed  of  the  Civil  War  in  the  Baltimore 
streets  (Apr.  19,  1861);  they  were  the  first  Northern  troops  to 
engage  actively  in  military  operations  within  hostile  territory 
(at  Gosport  Navy  Yard,  Apr.  20,  1861);  they  brought  in  the 
first  negro  "Contrabands"  (at  Fort  Monroe,  May  24,  1861); 
they  furnished  the  first  three-year  volunteer  regiment  in  American 
history  (May  25, 1861) ;  from  their  ranks  fell  the  first  Massachusetts 
soldier  killed  in  battle  during  the  Civil  War  (at  Great  Bethel, 
June  10,  1861);  they  were  the  first  National  Guard  unit  to  take 
up  heavy  and  coast  artillery  work  (1882  and  1897);  they  were  the 
first  U.  S.  Volunteers  to  enter  service  for  the  Spanish  War  (Apr. 
25,  1898) ;  in  the  World  War,  they  sent  overseas  the  first  National 
Guardsman,  Radio  Sgt.  Sinclair  F.  Beatty   (subsequently  2d  Lt. 


260  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

C.  A. — with  the  30th  Heavy  Artillery  Brigade),  the  first  to  sail 
of  all  New  England  and  perhaps  of  the  entire  nation  (Aug.  14, 
1917);  and  from  their  ranks  a  few  days  later  went  2d  Lt.  Joseph 
F.  Daly,  first  National  Guard  officer  from  the  United  States  to 
arrive  in  France.  Their  four  companies  which  became  batteries 
in  the  55th  Artillery  were  among  the  very  first  National  Guard 
units  to  be  given  place  in  a  regiment  bearing  a  Regular  Army 
number  (Nov.  20,  1917);  were  the  first  to  carry  silk  colors  to 
France;  and  were  the  first  National  Guard  Coast  Artillery  (and 
next  to  the  first  coast  artillery  G.  P.  F.'s)  to  go  into  action  during 
the  World  War  (Aug.  9,  1918);  and  the  55th  Regiment  stood  top- 
most in  the  first  list  of  National  Guard  organizations  to  be  honored 
by  permanent  incorporation  in  the  Regular  Army  (Jan.  29, 
1919). 

Amongst  the  achievements  in  lighter  vein  credited  to  the  Old 
First  are:  The  formal  and  ceremonious  visit  by  one  of  the  com- 
panies (the  Tigers)  to  New  York  in  1826;  the 'march  by  another 
company  (the  Fusiliers,  Bat.  F,  55th)  to  visit  President  Jackson  at 
Washington  in  1835;  the  road  march  to  Baltimore  by  yet  another 
company  (the  City  Guards,  Bat.  B,  55th)  in  1844;  originating  both 
the  words  and  the  tune  of  the  song,  "John  Brown's  Body,"  in 
1861;  bringing  out  three  great  Band-leaders,  Asa  Fillebrown,  1809, 
Patrick  S.  Gilmore,  1861,  and  D.  W.  Reeves,  1887.  Interesting  per- 
sonahties  in  the  regimental  history  were:  Capt.  Asa  Thompson  of 
"the  Cape"  (1814),  a  man  so  tall  and  heavy  as  to  gain  the  soubri- 
quet of  "Saul"  and  who  occasioned  worry  in  the  minds  of  observers 
lest  the  South  Boston  bridge  might  break  beneath  his  vast  weight; 
Maj.  Ben  Perley  Poore,  a  prominent  regimental  veteran  of  the 
Mexican  War,  who  lost  an  election  bet  in  1856,  and  acknowledged 
his  loss  by  publicly  trundling  under  military  escort  a  wheelbarrow 
of  apples  from  Newburyport  to  Boston;  Lt.  Col.  Clark  B.  Bald- 
win (1859-1864)  whose  marvelous  profanity  was  an  occasion  of 
astonishment  to  strangers  but  whose  courage  and  kindness  won 
for  him  the  unbounded  affection  of  friends;  the  Proctor  twins, 
Alfred  N.  and  Albert  E.  (1862-1876),  who  resembled  each  other 
so  closely  as  to  be  indistinguishable,  both  of  whom  were  captains, 
and  who  used  mischievously  to  relieve  each  other  in  the  line  of 
military  duty  without  taking  the  trouble  to  ask  permission  from 
their  superior  officers;  and  Drum  Major  James  F.  Clark  who  had 
the  gift  of  continuance  beyond  most  others  and  whose  service 


The  "Old  FirsV^  Massachusetts  Regiment  261 

record,  at  the  time  when  it  was  terminated  by  death   (1910), 
totaled  forty-one  years. 

The  origin  of  "John  Brown's  Body"  was  in  this  wise: 
Companies  of  the  Old  First  were  engaged  in  coast  defense 
duty  at  Fort  Warren,  Boston  Harbor,  between  Apr.  29  and  May 
25,  1861.  The  fort,  erected  between  1833  and  1850,  was  still 
littered  with  the  debris  and  rubbish  left  by  the  builders,  but 
otherwise  was  not  essentially  different  then  from  its  present  condi- 
tion. Relatively  small,  only  six  acres  in  comparison  with  the  eighty 
enclosed  by  its  older  (1819-1830)  companion,  Fort  Monroe,  it 
excels  all  other  American  fortifications  in  mysteriousness.  It 
is  pregnant  with  vivid  suggestions  of  the  castles  in  romance, 
here  a  sally-port,  a  jDOstern,  a  drawbridge,  a  portcullis — passages 
under  ground  and  in  the  walls,  turret  staircases,  huge  vaulted 
apartments  and  deep,  dark  dungeons.  In  the  gloom  of  a  windy 
night  one  can  almost  hear  the  sound  of  chains,  strange  moanings 
and  bowlings,  mingled  with  the  startling,  sudden  clang  of  a  shut- 
ting door  reverberating  thru  the  arches.  It  is  the  "Castle  of 
Udolpho'^  restored,  with  sufficient  "mysteries"  to  please  even 
the  romantic  Mrs.  Radcliffe.  There,  on  a  wet,  dreary  evening  the 
24th  of  May,  the  war-song  was  born. 

As  the  garrison  glee-club  (John  Brown,  James  E.  Greenleaf, 
organist  of  Harvard  College,  Newton  J.  Pernette,  G.  S.  Brown, 
James  H.  Jenkins,  Charles  E.  B.  Edgerley,  H.  H.  Brownell,  Pur- 
rington,  Niebuhr,  Tucker,  Brooks,  Shattuck,  Handy,  Clark, 
Henry  J.  Hallgreen  and  others)  were  amusing  themselves  in  the 
casemate  during  the  hour  before  tattoo,  they  fell  to  singing  a 
popular  religious  refrain,  which  Brown  and  Purrington  had  learned 
the  year  before  at  a  New  Hampshire  camp-meeting,  "  Say,  Brothers, 
Will  You  Meet  Us."  Words  and  tune  were  both  ascribed  to 
William  Steffe,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  the  date  affixed 
to  the  composition  was  1852.  The  three  stanzas  consisted  of  repe- 
titions, the  first  three  lines  of  the  stanza  being  identical: 

"Say,  brothers,  will  you  meet  us  (thrice) 
On  Canaan's  happy  shore. 

"By  the  grace  of  God  we'll  meet  you, 
Where  parting  is  no  more. 

"Jesus  lives  and  reigns  for  ever. 
On  Canaan's  happy  shore. 


262  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

CHORUS 

"Glory,  glory,  hallelujah,  (thrice  repeated) 
For  ever,  evermore." 

John  Brown  was  a  jovial  young  Scot,  himself  a  humorist  and 
always  a  shining  mark  for  the  wit  of  his  comrades;  as  it  hap- 
pened, he  was  an  abolitionist  and  his  name  of  course  suggested 
the  hero  of  Osawatomie  and  Harper's  Ferry  who  was  buried  in 
the  Adirondack  Mountains.  When  Brown's  comrades  were  in- 
clined to  guy  him,  they  greeted  him  with,  "Come,  old  fellow,  you 
ought  to  be  at  it  if  you  are  going  to  help  us  free  the  slaves";  or 
"This  can't  be  John  Brown — why,  John  Brown  is  dead."  And  some 
wag  would  add,  in  a  solemn,  drawling  tone,  "Yes,  yes,  poor  old 
John  Brown  is  dead;  his  body  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave." 
Brown  had  recently  yielded  to  impatience  and  delivered  himself  of 
the  remark,  in  his  broad  Scottish  burr,  "I  did  not  enlist  to  hang 
arrround  some  forrrt;  I  want  to  be  a  rrreal  soldierrr." 

Prompted  by  a  sudden  inspiration,  Hallgreen  began  to  sing,  to 
the  tune  of  the  camp-meeting  refrain,  "John  Brown's  going  to  be 
a  soldier";  and  at  once  the  sport  was  on.  Someone  followed  with 
a  second  stanza,  thrice  repeating  the  line,  "John  Brown's  knap- 
sack is  strapped  upon  his  back" — it  will  be  noted  that  the  new 
tune  evolved  out  of  the  old  one  in  the  transition  between  the  pre- 
ceding stanza  and  this;  a  generous  comrade  added  the  third  verse, 
"We'll  fill  it  up  with  bullets  and  with  mouldy  hardtack";  another 
wandered  off  into  the  realm  of  politics  and  sang,  "We'll  hang 
Jeff  Davis  to  a  sour  apple  tree";  by  that  time  Hallgreen  was  ready 
with  a  fifth  stanza,  which  has  since  dropped  out  in  the  process 
of  expurgation,  "We'll  feed  him  on  the  apples  till  he  gets  the 
diarrhee";  and  finally,  as  the  soldiers  were  inclined  to  enjoy  one 
more  joke  at  the  expense  of  their  comrade.  Brown,  but  perhaps 
rendered  momentarily  serious  under  the  night-spell  of  the  fort, 
and  also  having  learned  from  their  commander,  Maj.  Ralph  W. 
Newton,  of  their  own  bereavement  that  day  by  the  tragic  death  of 
their  well-loved  friend.  Col.  Ephraim  Elmer  Ellsworth,  the  Chicago 
zouave,  with  a  burst  of  genuine  emotion  they  sang,  "Ellsworth's 
body  lies  a-mouldering  in  the  grave.   His  soul  is  marching  on." 

Greenleaf  and  Brownell  at  once  undertook  preparing  a  suitable 
notation  for  the  song,  and  secured  the  assistance  of  friends  out- 
side of  the  organization,  C.  S.  Hall  of  Charlestown,  Frank  E. 


The  ^'Old  FirsV^  Massachusetts  Regiment  263 

Jerome  and  C.  B.  Marsh.  The  verses  were  revised,  and  Brown's 
name  was  substituted  for  Ellsworth's  in  the  title-line.  Both 
words  and  tune  were  at  once  published,  and  the  new  music  met 
with  a  cordial  welcome  from  the  pubKc.  When  the  Brigade  Band 
visited  Fort  Warren  one  Sunday,  and  during  evening  parade  struck 
up  the  new  music,  they  brought  surprize  and  delight  to  the  sol- 
diers.   The  lines,  as  published,  were: 

"John  Brown's  body  lies  a-mouldering  in  the  grave,  (thrice  re- 
peated) 
His  soul's  marching  on! 

CHORUS 

"Glory,  Hally,  Hallelujah!  (thrice) 
His  soul's  marching  on! 

"  He's  gone  to  be  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  Lord, 
His  soul's  marching  on! 

"John  Brown's  knapsack  is  strapped  upon  his  back — 
His  soul's  marching  on! 

"  His  pet  lambs  will  meet  him  on  the  way — 
They  go  marching  on! 

"They  will  hang  jeff  Davis  to  a  tree! 
As  they  march  along. 

"Now  three  rousing  cheers  for  the  Union! 
As  we  are  marching  on." 

Both  words  and  tune  traced  back  to  the  companies  of  the  Old 
First. 

Col.  Fletcher  Webster's  regiment,  the  12th  Inf.,  was  in  process 
of  recruiting  at  Fort  Warren  that  month,  and  many  of  our  glee- 
club  transferred  into  the  new  organization;  Pernette,  Edgerley, 
Shattuck,  Handy,  Clark,  Jenkins,  George  Kimball  and  John 
Brown  were  among  those  seeking  more  active  service  at  the  front. 
The  song  continued  to  gain  popularity,  even  after  the  originators 
of  it  had  been  reheved  from  duty  at  Fort  Warren.  A  new  regiment, 
the  14th  Inf.,  began  to  organize;  and  their  members  became 
as  enthusiastic  over  the  music  as  their  predecessors  had  been. 
The  song,  at  first  intended  humorously,  was  taken  up  in  serious 
earnest.     On  July  18,  1861,  the  Webster  regiment  paraded  up 


264  The  Fifty-fifih  Artillery 

State  St.  to  Boston  Common,  where  they  received  their  battle- 
flags;  they  were  escorted  by  companies  of  the  Old  First,  accom- 
panied by  Patrick  S.  Gilmore's  famous  Band;  and  as  the  mu- 
sicians played  the  John  Brown  song,  the  marching  men  sang  the 
words  in  magnificent  unison.  Again  on  July  23  did  the  12th 
Regiment  sing  the  popular  music  in  Boston's  streets,  as  they 
made  their  way  to  the  train  which  was  to  bear  them  to  the  front. 
The  following  day  New  York  City  heard  the  stirring  strains  for 
the  first  time  from  the  lips  of  the  same  Yankee  soldiers — heard 
and  was  thrilled.  Within  a  year  hundreds  of  thousands  in  blue 
were  firing  their  enthusiasm  for  the  great  ordeal  by  singing  the 
refrain,  "His  soul  is  marching  on."  Poor  John  Brown,  the  titular 
hero  of  the  original  song,  while  serving  as  sergeant  in  Co.  A  of  the 
12th  Mass.  Inf.,  by  the  accidental  capsizing  of  his  row-boat  found 
a  watery  grave  in  the  Shenandoah  River  at  Front  Royal,  Virginia, 
on  June  6,  1862. 

One  further  step  remained  to  be  taken  in  order  to  make  the 
John  Brown  song  America's  greatest  war-music,  to  achieve  for  it 
a  preeminence  which  has  never  even  been  challenged  (unless 
by  the  later  "Marching  thru  Georgia") — a  stronger  text  was 
needed,  poetry  worthy  of  the  tune  and  the  noble  cause.  Here 
again  the  Old  First  played  a  part,  albeit  an  indirect  one.  The 
14th  Inf.  had  learned  the  song  from  members  of  the  Old  First 
in  Fort  Warren;  the  14th  presently  changed  their  name  and  branch 
of  the  service,  and  became  the  1st  Mass.  Heavy  Arty.  On  Nov. 
16,  1861,  Mrs.  Julia  Ward  Howe  and  Rev.  James  Freeman  Clarke 
of  Boston  visited  the  14th  Inf.  in  the  defenses  of  Washington, 
and  were  impressed  by  the  men's  rendering  of  the  John  Brown 
song;  on  the  ride  back  to  the  city,  Clarke  challenged  Mrs.  Howe 
to  write  more  fitting  words.  Early  the  next  morning,  in  a  Washing- 
ton hotel,  was  born  "The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic." 

The  "Battle  Hymn"  was  first  sung  in  Plymouth  Congregational 
Church,  Framingham,  Mass.;  during  the  war  days,  it  came  into 
gradual  use  thruout  the  country.  Its  birth  into  genuine  popu- 
larity occurred  at  the  Peace  Jubilee  in  Boston  in  1872,  when 
Patrick  S.  Gilmore  in  a  huge  auditorium  (near  the  present  site 
of  the  Public  Library)  before  an  audience  of  50,000  people  con- 
ducted a  chorus  of  20,000  voices  with  the  accompaniment  of  a 
2,000-piece  orchestra;  there  were  fifty  special  soloists,  fifty  Bos- 
ton firemen  beating  anvils,  and  cannon-shots  marking  the  heaviest 


The  Chelsea  Rifles  (Supply  Co.,  o5th)  Taking  Intrenchment  at  Yorktown,  Apr.  26,  1862 


The  City  Guards  (Bat.  B,  55th)  at  End  of  March  to  Baltimore,   1844 


The  Train-Band,   1832.     Why  It  Was  Abolished 


Maj.  Poore  Pays  His  Bet 


Artillery  in  1918 


Signal  Corps  Photo 


Artillery  in  the  World  War 


Artillery  in   1784 


Copyright  by  Continental  Ins.  Co. 


Thk  Fusiliers  (Bat.  F,  55th),  Capitol  Hill,  Washington,  D.  C,  1835 


The  Fusiliers  (Bat.  F,  55th),  on  Common  at  Inauguration  of  Cochituate  Water  System,  Oct.  25,  1848 


The  "Old  FirsV^  Massachusetts  Regiment  265 

rhythms.  Music  by  wholesale  was  this,  and  it  revealed  the  great 
leader  at  the  acme  of  his  genius;  Gilmore  was  then  best  known  to 
Bostonians  in  the  role  of  Band-leader  of  the  Old  First. 

Colored  "Jubilee"  singers  from  Fisk  University  were  on  the 
program  that  night;  greeted  indifferently  and  almost  insolently 
at  the  outset  by  the  audience,  they  won  a  mighty  triumph  be- 
fore the  evening  was  over.  The  "Battle  Hymn'^  was  announced. 
The  chorus  started  it  too  high,  and  brought  it  very  near  wreck 
and  ruin;  certain  courageous  voices  piped  up  high  and  shrill,  while 
others  stopped  in  breathless  consternation.  At  the  second  stanza, 
when  matters  looked  very  serious,  help  came  from  the  Fisk  Uni- 
versity singers. 

"He  hath  sounded  forth  the  trumpet  that  shall  never  call 
retreat" — their  trained  voices  carried  the  long  strophes  to  the 
audience  with  beauty  and  color  and  irresistible  lilt.  The  multi- 
tude rose  to  their  feet,  shouting  and  waving  handkerchiefs.  Gil- 
more  now  motioned  the  dusky  singers  to  his  platform  and,  massing 
them  around  his  stand,  caused  them  to  finish  the  remaining  stan- 
zas— with  wonderful  effect.  That  night  lifted  the  "Battle  Hymn 
of  the  Republic"  to  popular  favor. 

This  song,  of  all  serious  music,  was  best  loved  by  the  55th  while 
in  France,  and  indeed  was  a  favorite  with  the  entire  American 
Expeditionary  Forces.    Following  is  the  version  which  we  sang: 

"  (Tune,  'John  Brown's  Body.') 

"1.     Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord; 
He  is  trampling  out  the  vintage  where  the  grapes  of  wrath 

are  stored; 
He  hath  loosed  the  fateful  lightning  of  his  terrible  swift 
sword. 

His  truth  is  marching  on. 

"Glory!  glory!  Hallelujah! 
Glory!  glory!  Hallelujah! 
Glory!  glory!  Hallelujah! 
His  truth  is  marching  on. 

"2.     He  hath  sounded  forth  the  trumpet  that  shall  never  call 
retreat; 
He  is  sifting  out  the  hearts  of  men  before  his  judgment 
seat; 


266  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

0,  be  swift,  my  soul,  to  follow  him!  be  jubilant,  my  feet! 
Our  God  is  marching  on. 

"3.     In  the  beauty  of  the  lilies  Christ  was  born  across  the  sea, 
With  a  glory  in  his  bosom  that  transfigures  you  and  me; 
As  he  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  us  die  to  make  men  free, 
While  God  is  marching  on. 

"4.     We're  brothers  of  all  noble  men  who  wear  our  country's 
blue. 
We  brothers  find  in  any  race  where  men  are  brave  and  true. 
But  weVe  a  pride  in  our  own  Corps,  and  we  are  all  agreed, 
The  'Fifty-fifth'  shall  lead." 

The  final  stanza  came  from  the  pen  of  Chaplain  Minot  J.  Sav- 
age in  1887,  and  was  part  of  his  "March  of  the  First" — of  which 
we  shall  hear  more  anon. 

It  was  a  far  cry  from  Henry  J.  Hallgreen's  parody  on  John 
Brown  to  Mrs.  Howe's  spiritual  poetry — the  influence  of  the  Old 
First  attended  the  song  in  every  stage  of  its  development.  Old 
Andrew  Fletcher  has  claimed  that  the  song-writer  of  a  nation  is 
more  influential  even  than  the  law-maker;  so  far  as  this  is  true, 
the  Old  First  have  exerted  a  mighty  National  influence. 

Regimental  achievements  in  sterner  vein  were:  They  burned  the 
Gosport  Navy  Yard,  and  sunk  the  Merrimac  (1861) ;  they  furnished 
a  multitude  of  trained  officers  for  other  organizations  in  both  the 
Civil  and  World  Wars;  they  helped  save  the  Union  army  from 
disaster  at  Chancellorsville  (May  2,  1863) ;  they  fired  at  least  part 
of  the  volley  which  ended  the  earthly  career  of  Gen.  "Stonewall" 
Jackson  the  night  after  Chancellorsville;  and  they  bore  the  brunt 
of  the  decisive  second  day's  fighting  at  Gettysburg  (July  2,  1863). 
The  total  of  regimental  killed  in  the  Civil  War  was  173. 

The  Supply  Co.  of  the  55th  or  Chelsea  Rifles,  who  in  Civil  War 
days  were  known  as  Co.  H  of  the  Old  First,  performed  a  neat  and 
efficient  bit  of  service  at  Yorktown,  Virginia,  on  Apr.  26,  1862; 
altho  this  achievement  was  not  dignified  by  the  War  Department 
with  the  title  of  a  major  operation,  it  nevertheless  belonged  amongst 
the  heroic  deeds,  which  spice  the  pages  of  American  history. 
Near  the  present  beautiful  National  cemetery,  and  in  sight  of 
the  present  charming  Yorktown  battle-monument  stood  a  Con- 
federate intrenchment  which  occasioned  annoyance  to  McClellan's 
army;  it  had  withstood  two  assaults,  and  was  in  the  way  of  the 


The  ^'Old  FirsV^  Massachusetts  Regiment  267 

army's  advance.  The  Old  First  offered  to  take  the  work;  and  their 
offer  was  accepted.  The  Colonel  had  read  American  annals  and 
knew  how  "Mad  Anthony"  Wayne  achieved  immortality;  the 
appeal  now  would  be  to  cold  steel.  About  2  a.  m.  Companies 
A,  H  and  I  were  quietly  awakened,  H  to  make  the  attack,  and 
the  others  to  serve  as  supports;  the  men  formed  their  line  amid 
the  silence  of  the  woods;  and,  at  earliest  dawn,  heard  their  com- 
mander whisper,  "This  is  McClellan's  first  order — The  honor 
of  Massachusetts  is  in  your  keeping — Charge!"  Across  four 
hundred  yards  of  miry,  uneven  ground  they  advanced  in  the  face 
of  Confederate  rifle  fire;  arriving  at  the  redoubt,  with  a  shout  for 
Massachusetts,  they  fired  a  single  volley,  and  completed  their 
task  with  the  bayonet;  just  ten  minutes  after  the  Colonel's  com- 
mand, the  intrenchment  was  in  Union  hands.  Four  members  of 
the  company  were  killed. 

Among  the  men  of  the  Old  First  it  was  a  common  belief  that  it 
had  fallen  to  their  fate  to  be  the  slayers  of  Gen.  "Stonewall" 
Jackson,  one  of  the  severest  blows  to  the  Confederate  cause  dur- 
ing the  entire  war.  During  the  night  which  intervened  between 
May  2  and  3,  1863,  the  two  days  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville, 
two  companies  were  on  outpost,  when  a  party  of  Confederate 
horsemen  rode  down  the  Plank  Road  toward  their  lines ;  as  a  result 
of  the  volley  then  fired.  Gen.  Jackson  fell.  The  identification  was 
rendered  complete  by  Sgt.  Charles  F.  Ferguson  of  Co.  I,  who  was 
a  prisoner-of-war  for  a  few  minutes,  and  happened  to  be  close  to 
the  mounted  officers  when  the  fire  was  received;  Ferguson  made 
his  escape  in  the  ensuing  confusion,  and  reported  what  he  had  seen. 
This  event  was  merely  an  accident  of  warfare,  and  entirely  un- 
premeditated. While  others  claimed  to  have  been  the  agents  of 
Jackson's  removal,  and  altho  the  Southerners  say  that  their  own 
men  fired  the  fatal  shots,  still  there  is  no  good  reason  for  rejecting 
the  contention  of  the  Old  First — in  fact  the  evidence  seems  conclu- 
sive that  our  claim  is  valid. 

Historians  differ  concerning  the  relative  importance  of  the 
second  and  third  days  at  Gettysburg;  Gen.  Philip  H.  Sheridan  in 
1880,  and  Gen.  James  Longstreet  in  1902,  and  Capt.  J.  Long  in 
his  "Sixteenth  Decisive  Battle  of  the  World,"  published  in  1906, 
took  the  ground  that  the  battle  was  won  on  the  second  day  by 
Gen.  Daniel  E.  Sickles  and  the  3d  Corps.  Gen.  Sickles  had  been 
posted  on  low  ground   to  the  north   of  "Little  Round  Top"; 


268  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

becoming  convinced  that  Longstreet  was  about  to  attack  and 
crumple  up  the  Union  left  flank,  just  as  Jackson  had  crushed 
the  Union  right  at  Chancellorsville,  he  determined  to  prevent 
such  a  disaster  by  moving  his  corps  forward  to  the  higher  ground, 
running  north  from  the  Peach  Orchard  along  the  Emmetsburg 
road.    The  Old   First  of  the  3d  Corps,  at  the  "Peter  Rogers 


Design  of  the  Gbtttbbttbg  Monxtment 

house,"  held  the  most  advanced  position  of  the  entire  army.  As 
a  consequence  Longstreet  had  no  more  than  started  when  he 
unexpectedly  came  upon  Sickles'  men,  and  there  he  found  plenty 
to  keep  him  busy  so  that  he  was  unable  to  crush  anyone.  At  the 
day's  close,  the  Union  regiments  were  compelled  to  fall  back  to 
Round  Top;  but  meanwhile,  by  Longstreet's  own  admission, 
the  Confederate  plans  had  failed  entirely  and  Lee  had  been  defeated; 
the  gallant  charge  of  the  Virginians  on  the  third  day  was  only  a 
desperate  final  attempt  by  a  beaten  army,  before  commencing 
its  retreat.  But  for  Sickles'  advanced  stand  with  the  3d  Corps 
on  July  2,  there  would  not  have  been  a  third  day  at  Gettysburg. 


The  *'Old  FirsV^  Massachusetts  Regiment 


269 


The  White  Diamond  Flaq 

four  letters  of  their 


It  seemed  odd  that,  in  the  multitude 
of  divisional  emblems  used  by  different 
organizations  of  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Forces,  no  one  happened  to  select 
the  "white  diamond"  badge  (of  the  2d 
Division,  3d  Corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac) 
which  had  been  so  proudly  and  fondly 
worn  by  the  Old  First  during  the  Civil 
War.  Two  different  ammunition  trains, 
the  117th  from  Kansas  (42d  Division) 
and  the  308th  from  Ohio  (83d  Division), 
used  such  a  device  to  mark  their  trucks 
in  the  early  days  of  their  service;  but 
the  former  afterward  substituted  the 
'^rainbow,"  and  the  latter  organization 
chose  a  yellow  monogram  combining  the 
state  name. 

The  Old  First  was 
primarily  an  artillery 
regiment,  altho  the  or- 
ganization fought  as  in- 
fantry during  the  Civil 
War.  They  had  ori- 
ginally been  artillery. 
While  they  nominally 
became  ' '  doughboys ' ' 
on  Feb.  26,  1855,  they 
did  not  return  their  old 
cannon  to  the  state  until 
1861.  In  the  record  of 
service  which  concludes 

this     chapter,     most     of      The  White  Diamond  since  Col.  Mathews'  Day  (1888) 

the  operations  described  as  '^defense''  or  ''coast  defense"  were 
artillery  activities.  They  welcomed  the  restoration  of  artillery 
drill  in  1882,  and  they  resumed  the  artillery  name  as  soon  as 
the  law  permitted  such  a  step,  on  Jan.  1,  1897.  When  on  Nov.  1, 
1905,  they  made  definite  selection  of  "coast"  artillery  as  their 
future  branch  of  the  service,  they  chose  exciting  work;  for  the 
coast  artillery  specialized  on  "counter-battery"  work  of  an  ex- 
treme type,  firing  at  ships,  moving  targets  which  possessed  the 


270  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

ability  to  return  our  shots,  and  which  would  certainly  and  quickly 
"get  us"  unless  we  "got  them"  first.  The  importance  of  coast 
artillery  service  cannot  be  overestimated;  their  mission,  it  was, 
to  defend  America's  centers  of  wealth  and  manufacturing,  and  to 
prevent  hostile  invaders  from  securing  any  base  of  operations. 

Coast  artillery  afforded  the  most  magnificent  team-sport  in 
the  world.  Three  officers  and  sixty-seven  men  worked  together 
in  firing  the  twelve-inch  rifle;  and  each  contributed  something 
essential  to  the  success  of  the  shot.  Twelve  inches  was  the  bore 
of  the  rifled  gun;  fifty-two  tons  the  weight;  forty-two  or  more 
feet  the  length;  $45,000  the  cost,  and  the  carriage  represented 
an  investment  of  $40,000  more.  The  gun  was  loaded  with  three 
hundred  twenty-five  pounds  of  powder,  and  a  high-explosive 
projectile  weighing  more  than  half  a  ton,  costing  upwards  of  $150, 
and  sufficient  in  itself  to  destroy  a  hostile  warship.  The  target 
at  which  the  shot  was  fired,  floated  on  the  water  at  a  distance  of 
sixteen  miles,  and  without  the  use  of  powerful  glasses  was  all  but 
invisible.  Range  and  direction  (azimuth)  were  determined  by  a 
combination  of  most  delicate  scientific  observing  instruments. 
Now  the  great  gun  swung  majestically  into  place.  "Fire!"  A 
concussion  followed  as  if  many  railroad  trains  were  coupling — 
mighty,  stunning.  Then  ensued  seconds  of  eager  watching  from 
the  battery,  but  not  many  such;  for  the  projectile  traveled  twice 
as  fast  as  sound  itself.  Up  spouted  a  column  of  sea-water  be- 
side the  target.  A  hit!  And  this  was  repeated  once  per  minute 
until  the  enemy  was  put  out  of  action. 

Equally  at  home  planting  mines  in  the  water  or  operating  the 
heavy  ordnance  on  land,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  World  War,  this 
most  scientific  of  all  the  combatant  branches  developed  great 
versatility  and  rendered  itself  useful  along  highly  varied  lines. 
Besides  maintaining  American  coast  defense  against  all  comers, 
the  coast  artillery  manned  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces' 
trench  mortars,  anti-aircraft  guns,  railway  artillery,  self-pro- 
pelled howitzers,  tractor-drawn  howitzers,  and  tractor-drawn 
155's — in  addition  to  infantry  work  with  rifle  and  machine-guns. 
They  were  popular  with  their  comrades  of  the  infantry.  They 
went  into  action  nearer  to  the  infantry  front  line  than  did  other 
artillery.  And  while  the  field  artillery  had  to  busy  themselves 
mostly  with  the  enemy  infantry  and  could  not  work  great  damage 
amongst  the  German  batteries,  the  coast  artillery,  with  longer- 


The  "Old  First' ^  Massachusetts  Regiment  271 

ranged  ordnance,  were  able  actually  to  silence  the  German  guns. 
As  the  infantry  suffered  most  from  the  opposing  artillery,  they 
consequently  felt  grateful  to  those  who  were  able  to  afford  relief 
from  such  destructive  enemy  weapons — to  the  coast  artillery. 

The  regiment  attended  the  funeral  of  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  at  New 
York,  Aug.  9,  1885;  and  in  1887  the  Commonwealth  selected 
the  Old  First  to  represent  it  at  the  celebration  in  Philadelphia 
on  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  signing  of  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States,  the  command  having  at  that  time 
the  highest  record  of  any  military  organization  in  the  state.  On 
the  latter  occasion  they  paraded  to  the  music  of  an  immense 
Band  of  fifty  pieces,  together  with  a  huge  drum-corps,  all  under 
the  leadership  of  D.  W.  Reeves;  the  Band-leader  took  advantage 
of  the  opportunity  and  *' brought  out"  his  new  composition, 
*'The  March  of  the  First";  and  this  became  a  marching-song 
for  the  parade  when  it  had  been  given  a  set  of  rousing  words  by 
Chaplain  Minot  J.  Savage.  The  impression  made  upon  the  Phila- 
delphia spectators  was  overwhelming.  The  regiment  paraded  in 
Washington  under  Col.  Charles  P.  Nutter  at  the  inauguration 
of  President  Taft  and  again  at  the  inauguration  of  President 
Wilson  under  the  command  of  Col.  Lombard.  On  all  these  occa- 
sions military  critics  of  the  Regular  Army  gave  the  Old  First 
credit  for  making  the  finest  military  appearance  of  all  the  organi- 
zations assembled  from  the  entire  United  States. 

All  twelve  companies  entered  Federal  service  July  25,  1917, 
under  command  of  Col.  George  F.  Quinby,  and  were  discharged 
from  state  service  by  the  operation  of  the  draft  on  August  5, 
1917.    Their  ultimate  fate  was  as  follows: 

1st  Co.  and  2d  Co.  disbanded  Dec.  3,  1918,  and  their  records 
were  preserved  by  the  1st  Co.  C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Revere, 
Boston. 

3d  Co.  became  Bat.  F,  55th  Arty.  C.  A.  C,  Fort  Scott,  San 
Francisco,  and  duplicate  records  were  preserved  by  the  9th  Co. 
C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Boston. 

4th  Co.  became  Bat.  D,  55th  Arty.  C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Scott, 
and  duplicate  records  were  preserved  by  the  2d  Co.  C.  A.  C,  U.  S. 
A.,  Boston. 

5th  Co.  became  Supply  Co.,  55th  Arty.  C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort 
Scott,  and  duplicate  records  were  preserved  by  the  6th  Co.  C.  A.  C, 
U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Andrews,  Boston. 


272  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

6th  Co.  disbanded  Nov.  14,  1918,  and  records  preserved  by 
12th  Co.  C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Strong,  Boston. 

7th  Co.  disbanded  Nov.  14,  and  records  preserved  by  1st  Co. 
C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Revere. 

8th  Co.  disbanded  Nov.  14,  and  records  preserved  by  8th  Co. 
C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Andrews. 

9th  Co.  disbanded  Nov.  14,  and  records  preserved  by  14th 
Co.  C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Banks,  Boston. 

10th  Co.  disbanded  Nov.  14,  and  records  preserved  by  5th  Co. 
C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Standish,  Boston. 

11th  Co.  became  Bat.  B,  55th  Arty.,  C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort 
Scott,  and  dupHcate  records  were  preserved  by  the  15th  Co.  C.  A. 
C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Andrews. 

12th  Co.  disbanded  Nov.  13,  and  records  preserved  by  15th 
Co.  C.  A.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Andrews. 

Of  the  original  organization  mustered  into  the  Federal  service, 
members  were  transferred  to  overseas  organizations  as  follows: 
To  the  28th  Arty.  3;  to  replacement  drafts  A.  E.  F.  33;  to  the 
73d  Arty.  A.  E.  F.  43;  to  the  33d  Arty.  47;  to  the  71st  Arty.  A. 
E.  F.  100;  to  the  51st  F.  Arty.  Brigade  A.  E.  F.  155;  to  the  101st 
Ammunition  Train  A.  E.  F.  234;  and  to  the  55th  Arty.  A.  E.  F., 
638.  As  along  with  the  large  number  of  men  transferred  to  the 
55th  Arty.,  four  entire  units  were  also  incorporated,  records  and 
all,  in  the  new  regiment,  the  55th  Arty,  became  recognized  as 
the  continuation,  in  overseas  service,  of  the  Old  First. 

Orders  were  issued  on  June  14,  1919,  reviving  the  Old  First 
in  the  Massachusetts  Volunteer  Militia  under  command  of  Col. 
Quinby;  and  active  recruiting  began  Sept.  12, 1919,  in  consequence 
of  the  Boston  Police  strike. 

In  concluding  this  narrative,  let  us  summarize  the  service 
record  of  the  regiment.  Army  regulations  prescribe  that  names 
of  battles  or  campaigns  in  which  the  organization  has  participated 
will  be  embroidered  on  the  regimental  color.  The  author  here- 
with submits  a  list  of  all  major  operations,  together  with  other 
military  activities  performed  under  competent  authority  against 
actual  or  potential  pubHc  enemies.  Names  placed  on  the  color 
are  numbered  serially,  the  55th  also  being  entitled  to  the  same 
list. 

Explanation  is  needed  to  account  for  the  items  listed  in  con- 
nection with  the  Civil  War.    The  1st  Regiment  of  Infantry  was 


The  "Old  First' ^  Massachusetts  Regiment  273 

actually  the  "Old  First''  itself.  Since  the  reorganization  of  1878 
the  Old  First  has  comprized  all  surviving  units  of  the  3d  (Mass.) 
Inf.,  the  4th  Inf.,  the  42d  Inf.,  the  43d  Inf.,  and  the  1st,  4th, 
7th,  9th  and  15th  Unattached  Cos.  Moreover,  while  we  cannot 
claim  their  battle-names  for  our  color,  we  supplied  one  company 
to  the  5th  Mass.  Inf.,  one  to  the  6th,  one  to  the  13th,  one  to  the 
29th  and  one  to  the  4th  Mass.  H.  Arty.;  and  we  ''officered"  the 
24th  Inf.  and  the  44th  Inf.  The  following  summary  consolidates 
the  records  of  all  our  units. 

SERVICE  RECORD   OF  THE  OLD  FIRST 

Springfield,  Mass.  (Shays's  RebeUion — Riot),  Jan.  19  to  Feb. 
9,  1786. 

1    TFar  0/1812 
Boston  (Coast  defense),  June  13-24,  Sept.  8  to  Nov.,  1814. 

Boston  (Fire),  July  7,  1824. 
Boston  (Fire),  Feb.  11,  1825. 
Boston  (Broad  St.  Riot),  June  11,  1837. 
Boston  (Burns  Riot),  June  2,  1854. 

Civil  War 
Baltimore,  Md.  (Riot),  Apr.  19,  1861. 

Fort  Monroe,  Va.  (Coast  defense),  Apr.  20  to  July  16,  1861. 
Gosport  Navy  Yard,  Va.  (Destruction),  Apr.  20-21,  1861. 
Washington,  D.  C.  (Defense),  Apr.  20  to  July  16,  1861. 
Boston  (Coast  defense),  Apr.  25  to  May  29,  1861. 
Great  Bethel,  Va.,  June  10,  1861. 
Blackburn's  Ford,  Va.,  July  18,  1861. 

2  Bull  Run,  Va.,  July  21,  1861. 

Washington,  D.  C.  (Defense),  July  23  to  Aug.  13,  1861. 
Budd's  Ferry,  Md.  (Guard),  Aug.,  1861,  to  Apr.,  1862. 

3  Peninsula. 

Yorktown,  Va.  (Capture  of  intrenchment),  Apr.  26,  1862. 
WiUiamsburg,  Va.,  May  5,  1862. 
Fair  Oaks,  Va.,  May  31,  1862. 
Oak  Grove,  Va.,  June  25,  1862. 
Gaines's  Mill,  Va.,  June  27,  1862. 
Savage  Station,  Va.,  June  29,  1862. 
18 


274  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Glendale,  Va.,  June  30,  1862. 
Malvern  Hill,  Va.,  July  1,  1862. 
Kettle  Run,  Va.,  Aug.  27,  1862. 

4  Manassas,  Va.,  Aug.  27-31,  1862. 
Chantilly,  Va.,  Sept.  1,  1862. 

South  Mountain,  Md.,  Sept.  14,  1862.  - 
Antietam,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1862. 

5  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862. 

6  North  Carolina. 

Kinston,  Whitehall,  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  Dec.  14-17,  1862. 
Galveston,  Tex.  (Defense  of  Kuhn's  Wharf),  Jan.  1,  1863. 
Fort  Bisland,  La.,  Apr.  12-13,  1863. 

7  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  1-3,  1863. 

8  Mississippi  River. 

Assault  on  Port  Hudson,  La.,  June  14,  1863. 

La  Fourche  Crossing,  La.  (Skirmish),  June  21,  1863. 

Brashear  City,  La.  (Defense  of  supply  depot),  June  23,  1863. 

9  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  1-3,  1863. 
Port  Hudson,  La.  (Siege),  July  5-9,  1863. 
Wapping  Heights,  Va.,  July  23,  1863. 

New  York  City,  N.  Y.  (Coast  defense),  July  30  to  Oct.  7,  1863. 

Kelly's  Ford,  Va.,  Nov.  7,  1863. 

Knoxville,  Tenn.,  Nov.,  1863. 

Locust  Grove,  Va.,  Nov.  27,  1863. 

Boston  (Coast  defense),  Apr.  29  to  Aug.  10,  1864. 

New  Bedford,  Mass.  (Coast  defense),  May  3  to  Aug.  6,  1864. 

10  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5-6,  1864. 
Spotsylvania,  Va.,  May  8-13,  1864. 

Anderson's  Plantation,  Va.  (Defense  of  supply-train),  May  19, 1864. 

Bethesda  Church,  Va.,  June  1,  1864. 

Assault  on  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  15-19,  1864. 

Siege  of  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  20-30,  1864. 

Washington,  D.  C.  (Defense),  July  20,  1864,  to  May,  1865. 

Weldon  Railroad,  Va.,  Aug.  18-20,  1864. 

Fort  Stedman,  Va.,  Mch.  26,  1865. 

Fall  River,  Mass.  (Riot),  Aug.  5-8,  1870. 

Boston  (Fire),  Nov.  11-24,  1872. 

Fall  River,  Mass.  (Riot),  Sept.  27  to  Oct.  4,  1875. 

Cambridge,  Mass.  (Riot),  Feb.  21-22,  1887. 

Cambridge,  Mass.  (Police  at  public  funeral),  July,  1896. 


The  ''Old  FirsV^  Massachusetts  Regiment  275 

Spanish-American  War 
Boston  (Coast  defense),  Apr.  25  to  Aug.  13,  1898. 
New  Bedford,  Salem,  Marblehead,  Nahant,  Gloucester,  Newbury- 

port,  Mass.,  and    Portsmouth,    N.    H.    (Coast   defense),    May 

30  to  Aug.  13,  1898. 

Chelsea,  Mass.  (Fire),  Apr.  12-19,  1908. 
Salem,  Mass.  (Fire),  June  25  to  July  1,  1914. 
Framingham,  Mass.  (Mexican  border  training),  June  26  to  July 
10,  1916. 

World  War 
Chelsea,  Mass.  (Guard),  Mch.  24-25,  1917. 
Boston  (Coast  defense),  July  25,  1917,  to  Nov.  11,  1918. 
Transport — England  Defensive  Sector,  Mch.  25  to  Apr.  8, 1918. 

11  Aisne-Marne,  France,  Aug.  3-6,  1918. 

12  Oise-Aisne,  France,  Aug.  18  to  Sept.  9,  1918. 

13  Meuse-Argonne,  France,  Sept.  26  to  Nov.  11,  1918. 

The  service  records  of  the  units  in  the  55th,  not  originally 
from  the  Old  First,  are  as  follows: 

Bat.  E  was  organized  in  Olneyville,  R.  I.,  in  1893,  as  Co.  A, 
2d  Infantry,  Rhode  Island  militia.  November,  1908,  it  became 
the  9th  Co.  R.  I.  C.  A.  N.  G.  and  Aug.  31,  1917,  the  29th  Co. 
Boston.  Its  war  record  consisted  of  service,  as  Co.  H,  in  Rhode 
Island's  Spanish  War  regiment  of  infantry. 

Bat.  C  was  organized  Apr.  6,  1901,  as  the  83d  Co.,  C.  A.  C. 
While  it  came  into  existence  at  Fort  Hamilton,  New  York  City, 
it  was  transferred  the  following  year  to  Boston  and  remained 
there,  becoming  in  1916  the  4th  Co.,  Fort  Strong,  and  Aug.  31, 
1917,  the  8th  Co.,  Boston. 

Bat.  A  was  organized  June  13,  1901,  as  the  96th  Co.,  C.  A.  C, 
and  was  stationed  in  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Boston.  In  1916  it 
became  the  1st  Co.,  Fort  Revere,  and  on  Aug.  31,  1917,  the  1st  Co., 
Boston. 

Headquarters  Co.  was  organized  Aug.  5,  1907,  as  the  152d  Co. 
C.  A.  C,  and  was  stationed  in  the  Coast  Defenses  of  Boston. 
In  1916  it  became  the  2d  Co.,  Fort  Banks,  and  on  Aug.  31,  1917, 
the  13th  Co.,  Boston.  The  Band  section  of  the  Headquarters  Co. 
was  formed  June  6,  1901,  as  the  10th  Band,  C.  A.  C,  and  was 
never  stationed  elsewhere  than  in  Boston. 


276  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

It  is  possible  that,  while  these  pages  are  in  press,  the  regiment 
may  be  summoned  to  perform  other  military  duty;  the  fruit  of 
a  noble  past  is  a  useful  present.  The  soul  of  the  "  Old  Regiment," 
like  John  Brown's  of  which  they  taught  America  to  sing,  is 
"marching  on." 

"Whatever  grand  deeds  others  do, 
The  ^Old  First'  still  shall  lead." 
The  past,  at  least,  is  secure. 


ROSTER 

Officers 

Howell,  James  F.     Col.  C.  A.    Ft.  Banks,  Winthrop,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Feb.  9,  '18.     Regimental  C.  0.    Transferred  to 

Gen.  Staff  Corps. 
Sevier,  Granville.     Col.  C.  A.     Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Feb.  9,  '18 -Oct.  19,  '18.     Regimental  C.  O.     To  U.  S.— Gen. 

Staff. 
Roberts,  John  L.     Col.  C.  A.     118  West  57th  St.,  New  York  City. 

Oct.  19,  '18-  (San  Francisco).     Regimental  C.  0. 

Shedd,  Benjamin  B.     Lt.  Col.  C.  A.    6  Bradshaw  St.,  Medford, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17- June  7,  '18.    Lt.  Col.    Transferred  to  Asst  C.  O. 

Base  Supply  Depot,  Gievres. 
Furnival,  Richard.     Lt.  Col.  C.  A. 

June  26,  '18  -  Sept.  6,  '18.     Lt.  Col.  and  C.  0.  3d  Batl.     Trans- 
ferred to  56th  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
Dusenbury,   James   S.     Col.    C.    A.  Georgia. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Oct.  23,  '18.     C.  O.  2d  Batl.  to  Dec.  30,  '17;  C.  O. 

1st  Batl.  to  Sept.  8,  '18.     Lt.  Col.     Transferred  to  O.  &  T. 

Center  No.  1. 
Loustalot,  Alfred  L.     Maj.  C.  A.  C. 

Nov.  4,  '18 -Nov.  12,  '18.    Acting  Lt.  Col.    Transferred  to 

57th  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
Marsh,  Clarence  T.    Lt.  Col.  C.  A. 

Nov.  29,   '18 -Dec.   14,  '18.     Lt.   Col.    Transferred  to  18th 

Arty.  Area,  Donjeux. 

Allen,  Guy  G.     1st  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17- June  7,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Personnel 

Officer  to  June  7,  '18.     Transferred  to  Labor  Co.,  Army  Service 

Corps. 
Barker,  J.  W.     Maj.  C.  A. 

Nov.      ,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18.     C.  0.  1st  Batl.    Left  at  Brest. 
Bates,  James  C.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.  C.    25  Budlong  St.,  Hillsdale, 
Michigan. 


278  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Dec.  19,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Apr.  6,  '18;  C.  0.  Bat. 

F;  Reg.   Radio  Officer;  C.   O.  Bat.  F.     Left  at  Brest. 
Beaubien,  Warren  P.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  July  2,  '18.     Bat.  A  to  Apr.  16,  '18;  H.  A.  School, 

Mailly.     Sick  at  school;  transferred  to  54th  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
Bernardi,  Anthony  M.     1st  Lt.  M.  C.     26  Barbour  St.,  Bradford, 
Pennsylvania. 

Oct.   28,   '18 -Feb.,   '19.     Surgeon  2d  Batl.     Discharged   Ft. 

Wright. 
Bettcher,  Carl  W.     Capt.  C.  A.     Short  Beach,  Connecticut. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Oct.,  '18.     Reg.  HQ.  to  Dec.  27,  '17;  C.  O.  Bat. 

D;  Adj.   2d  Batl.;  Graduate  H.   Arty.  School   Mailly;  C.  O. 

Bat.  C  to  Aug.,  '18;  C.  O.  HQ.  Co.  Aug.  18  to  Aug.  31,  '18;  C.  0. 

Bat.  C  to  Oct.  22,  '18;  Adj.  2d  Batl.     Transferred  to  32d  H. 

Arty.  Brigade. 
Billings,  Ralph  E.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     R.  F.  D.,  Geddes,  South  Dakota. 

Nov.  17,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     HQ.  Co.;  Supply  Co.     Discharged 

at  Ft.  Wright. 
Bills,  Harry  F.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17- June  7,  '18.     Bat.  F  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Bat.  E  to 

June  7,  '18.     Transferred  to  301st  Stevedore  Reg. 
Birchfield,  Wellington  L.     2d  Lt.  C.  A.     1920 1  St.  N.  W.,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 

Nov.,   '18 -Feb.,   '19.     HQ.   Co.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Blackford,   Henry  J.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     Bardane,  West  Virginia. 

Oct.  30,'18  -  Feb.,'19.  Bat.  C;  Bat.  E.   Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Blake,  Cyrus  B.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17-Mch.  23,  '18.     HQ.  Co.     Left  in  command  of 

casuals.  Camp  Merritt,  N.  J. 
Blaney,  George.     Capt.  C.  A.     169  Washington  St.,  Newton,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -(San  Francisco).     Bat.  F  to  Oct.  30,  '18;  Gradu- 
ate H.  Arty.   School,  Mailly;    HQ.  Co.     Transferred  to  57th 

Arty.,  C.  A.  C;  later  returned  to  55th. 
Bonner,  James  N.    2d  Lt.  F.  A.    Due  West,  South  Carolina. 

Oct.  13,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  B.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Bradford,  Leon  B.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Sept.  4,  '18  -  Nov.  20,  '18.     Bat.  C;  Bat.  D. 
Bradford,  Leonard  G.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Jan.,  '19.     Bat.  C;  Bat.  E;  Graduate  H.  Arty. 

School,    Mailly.     Dropped  sick  May  14,  '18.    Returned. 


Roster — Officers  279 

Bryan,  Pendleton  T.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Nov.  11,  '18.     Supply  Co.;  Graduate  H.  Arty. 

School,  Mailly;  HQ.  Co.  to  Aug.  31,  '18;  Reg.  Adj.  to  Nov.  11, 

'18.     To  U.  S. 
BuUard,  Frank  A.  D.     Capt.  C.  A.     18  Broadway,  Taunton,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17-Mch.  19,  '18.     C.  O.  Bat.  C  to  Feb.  1,  '18;  Adj. 

1st  Batl.  to  Mch.  1,  '18;    Adj.  3d  Batl.     Transferred. 
Bunker,  Clarence  G.     Col.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,   '17 -Dec.  21,   '17.     C.   0.   1st  Batl.     Never  joined. 
Burton,  Arthur  W.     Maj.  C.  A.     371  Harvard  St.,  Cambridge, 


Dec.  4,  '17  -  Dec.  20,  '17.     Adj.  3d  Batl.     In  101st  Am.  Train. 

Never  joined. 
Camm,  Frank.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     Lynchburg,  Virginia. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18.     Bat.  C;  Radio  Officer  2d  Batl. 

Left  at  Brest. 
Campbell,  George  H.  G.     Capt.  C.  A.    1541  Hood  Ave.,  Chicago, 
Illinois. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Nov.  11,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Apr.  16,  '18;  Supply 

Co. ;  Bat.  E  to  Nov.  6,  '18.     Dropped  sick  Nov.  6,  '18.     To  U.  S. 
Carlson,  Sten  I.     2d  Lt.   C.  A.     Crystal  Falls,   Michigan. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  B  to  June  11,  '18;  Graduate  H. 

Arty.  School,  Mailly;  Bat.  F  to  Sept.  4,  '18;  Bat.  E;  Bat.  B. 

Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Clancy,  James  V.     Capt.  C.  A.     409  Trapelo  Road,  Waverly,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  (San  Francisco).    Bat.  B  to  Apr.  16,  '18;  Supply  Co. 

to  Nov.  11,  '18;  C.  O.  Supply  Co. 
Cla3rton,  Lawrence  L.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -June  7,  '18.     Bat.  A.     Transferred  to  3d  Anti- 

Aircraft  Battery. 
Clerin,  Drew.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Oct.  24,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     HQ.  Co.;  Bat.  A.     Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 
Clifford,  Thomas  J.     Capt.  C.  A.     567  Third  St.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Feb.  5,  '18.     C.  O.  Bat.  D  to  Dec.  27,  '17;  HQ. 

Transferred  to  Inf. 
Coughlin,  Leo  H.     Capt.  C.  A.    22  North  Pleasant  St.,  Taunton, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  June  7,  '18.     Bat.  D  to  Apr.  18,  '18.     Transferred 

to  Army  Service  Corps,  Base  Sect.  No.  2. 


280  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Crane,  Conrad  E.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     27  Pierce  St.,  Kingston,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Apr.  16,  '18  -  Jan.,  '19.     Bat.  D;  Asst.  Town  Major.     Dropped 

sick  July  17.     Returned.   Again,  Brest,  Jan.     To  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Currier,  Philip  H.    2d  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -June  30,  '18.     Bat.  B;  Bat.  C.     Transferred  to 

Anti-Aircraft. 
Cutler,  Frederick  M.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.    73  Moore  Ave.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 

Mch.  9,  '18-Mch.  27,  '19  (San  Francisco).     Chaplain;  Reg. 

Mail    Censor.     Officer  in   charge  of    Mails.     Reg.    Exchange 

Officer.    Discharged  at  San  Francisco. 
Daly,  Joseph  F.    2d  Lt.  C.  A.     113  East  Sixth  St.,  South  Boston, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Dec.  20,  '17.     HQ.  Co.     In  101st  Am.  Train    (1st 

N.   G.   officer  to   arrive  in  France).     Never  joined. 
Darnell,  Herbert  C.     Maj.  M.  C.    El  Paso,  Texas. 

June  20,  '18  -  Dec.  2,  '18.     Reg.  Surgeon.     Transferred  to  HQ. 

Army  Arty.,  1st  Army,  Bar-sur-Aube. 
Dillon,  George  E.     1st  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Mch.  23,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Dec.  30,  '17;  Bat.  D; 

HQ.  Co.     Left  at  Camp  Merritt  as  casual. 
Dodge,  Chester  E.     Capt.  C.  A.    63  Dana  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

Jan.  24,  '18  -  Feb.,  '19.     Adj.  2d  Batl.  to  Mch.  1,  '18;  C.  0.  HQ. 

Co.  to  Mch.  21,  '18;  Adj.  3d  Batl.  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Graduate  H. 

Arty.  School,  Mailly;  C.  O.  Bat.  F  to  Nov.  4,  '18.     Dropped 

sick  Nov.  4,  '18.     Rejoined  Dec;  HQ.  Co.     Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 
Dunlap,  Charles  K.     Capt.  C.  A.    206  Holmes  St.,  Belton,  South 
CaroUna. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Nov.  11,  '18.    Bat.  D;  HQ.  Co.    To  U.  S. 
Ellison,  Robert  F.     1st  Lt.  M.  C. 

Mch.  1,  '18- July  30,  '18.     Surgeon  3d  Batl.     Transferred  to 

O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3. 
Erickson,  Joseph  A.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     100  New   Park   St.,  Lynn, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Nov.  19,  '18.     Graduate  H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly; 

HQ.    Co.;  Orienteur    Officer;  Asst.     Information    Officer.     To 

U.  S.  as  casual. 


Roster — Officers  281 

Ewens,  Edward.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     602  West  Adams  Ave.,  Mc- 
Alister,  Oklahoma. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Jan.,  '19.     Orienteur  Officer  1st  and  2d  Batls.; 
,    Gas  Officer  2d  Batl.;  Bat.   D.     Dropped  sick  Aug.   31,   '18. 

Returned.    Again  Dec,  '18.     To  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Farrell,  Richard  O.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

g  Apr.  16,  '18  -  Sept.  3,  '18.     Bat.  D  to  May  23,  '18;  Bat.  C;  HQ. 
f    Co.     Transferred  to  Anti-Aircraft  school. 
Ferrall,  James  P.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18-  Aug.  1,  '18.     HQ.  Co.;  Adj.  2d  Batl.  to  Apr.  25; 

Motor  Transport  Officer.     Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3. 
Fuller,  Raymond  R.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Sept.  30,  '18  -  Nov.,  '18.     Bat.  E.    Bat.  C. 
Gower,  Arthur  W.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17-Mch.  24,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Dec.  30,  '17;  Bat.  D 

to  Jan.  6,  '18;  Supply  Co.     Dropped  at  Camp  Merritt;  Trans- 
ferred to  54th  Arty.  C.  A.  C. 
Green,  Daniel  E.    2d  Lt.  C.  A.    R.  F.  D.  No.  5,  Brewer,  Maine. 

Nov.,   '18 -Feb.,   '19.     HQ.   Co.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Gunn,  Harold  N.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     316  Bank  St.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -July  8,  '18.     Bat.  D  to  Mch.  1,  '18;  HQ.  Co. 

Transferred  to  99th  Aerial  Obs.  Squadron. 
Hall,  Forest  S.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Sept.  30,  '18  -  Nov.,  '18.     Bat.  A. 
Harris,    James    M.     Capt.    C.    A.     Smiths    Grove,    Kentucky. 

Nov.,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18.     C.  O.  Bat.  A  to  Dec.  5.    Left  at 

Brest. 
Hastings,  Donald  M.    2d  Lt.  C.  A.    441  Ferry  St.,  Everett,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17- June  7,  '18.     Bat.  B.     Transferred  to  19th  Eng. 
Hayward,  Harold  W.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  June  30,  '18.     HQ.  Co.;  Graduate  H.  Arty  School, 

Mailly.     Transferred  to  60th  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
Hearon,  Guy  H.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Nov.   13,   '18 -Feb.,   '19.     Adj.  2d  Batl.     Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 
Henson,  John  G.     1st  Lt.  M.  C. 

Mch.  1,  '18 -Oct.  13,  '18.     Surgeon  2d  Batl.  to  May  31,  '18; 

1st  Batl.  to  July  19,  '18;  2d  Batl.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  13,  '18. 
Herbert,  CUfford  B.     1st  Lt.  Ordnance  C.     321  West  108  St., 
New  York  City. 


282  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Feb.  9,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Ordnance  Officer  to  Nov.  13,  '18;  Bat. 

E.     Dropped  sick  May,  June  5,  Nov.  13,  '18,  and  Jan.,  '19. 

Rejoined.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Herrington,  Harry  L.     2d  Lt.  C.  A.     20  West  Franklin  St.,  Rich- 
mond, Virginia. 

Apr.  16,  '18  -  Oct.  31,  '18.     HQ.  Co.;  Bat.  C;  Asst.  Information 

Officer. 
Hirsch,    George    W.     Capt.    C.    A.     Medford,    Wisconsin. 

Dec.  20,  '17  -  Dec.  19,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Jan.  10,  '18;  Bat.  C  to 

Apr.  16,  '18;  C.  O.  Bat.  D.     Left  at  Brest. 
Hodge,  Winship  A.    1st  Lt.  C.  A.    2128  South  West  St.,  Kalama- 
zoo, Michigan. 

Apr.    16,    '18 -Feb.,   '19.     HQ.   Co.;  Radio   Officer   1st  Batl. 

Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Holbrook,  Marshall  S.     Maj.  C.  A.     73  Scituate  St.,  Arlington, 
Mass. 

Dec.  21,  '17 -Oct.  12,  '18.     C.  0.  3d  Batl.  to  Sept.  28,  '18;  C. 

O.  2d  Batl.  to  Oct.  5,  '18;  Graduate  H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  8,  '18.     To  U.  S.     Died  New  York  City 

Nov.  28,  '18. 
Hollis,  Oliver  N.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     11  Boynton  St.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Feb.  16,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18.     HQ.  Co.;  Bat.  F  to  Mch.  1,  '18; 

Bat.  E  to  Dec.  19,  '18.     Left  at  Brest. 
Helton,  Herbert  M.     1st  Lt.  F.  A.     3872  Boston  Road,  New 
York  City. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Jan.,  '19.     C.  O.  Bat.  C  to  July  10;  Bat.  C  to 

Aug.,  '18;  C.  0.  Bat.  C  to  Aug.  31,  '18;  Bat.  C.     Dropped  sick 

Brest  Dec,  '19.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Hopkins,  Edwin  G.     Capt.  C.  A.     184  Winthrop  St.,  Taunton, 
Mass. 

Dec.   4,   '17 -Dec.   20,   '17.    HQ.   Co.    Never  joined.    With 

101st  Am.  Train.     Croix  de  Guerre. 
Horton,  George  E.     Capt.  C.  A.    4  Bartlett  Terrace,  Brockton, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Jan.  24,  '18.     Adj.  2d  Batl.     Transferred  to  33d 

Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
Hough,  Walter  J.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Nov.  17,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.    Adj.   1st  Batl.    Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 


Roster — Officers  283 

Hufnagel,    Charles   J.     Capt.    M.    C.     Cannelton,    Indiana. 

Dec.  3,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Surgeon  3d  Batl.     Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 
Hutchinson,  Joseph  B.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     521  George  St.,  Parkers- 
burg,  West  Virginia. 

Apr.   16,   '18 -to  Feb.,   '19.     Bat.  A;  Mechanical  Officer   1st 

Batl.  to  Dec.  19,    '18;    C.  O.  Bat.  C.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  12, 

'18.     Returned.     Injured  in  New  York  City  Feb.     Discharged 

in  New  York  City. 
Jackson,  Dugald  G.     2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  20, '17 -Jan., '18. 
Jackson,  Thomas  H.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Jan.  16,  '18.     Bat.  E. 
James,  William  E.     Capt.  C.  A.     80  Willis  St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Nov.  11,  '18.     Bat.  C  to  Mch.  1;  Bat.  D  to  Apr. 

18, '18;  Personnel  Officer;  Regimental  Exchange  Officer.    Trans- 
ferred to  51st  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
Keller,  Erwin.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     Horton,  Kansas. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Executive  Officer  Bat.  B  to  Dec.  19, 

'18;  C.    O.    Bat.    B.     Discharged    at    Ft.    Wright. 
Kilburn,  Clifford  B.    2d  Lt.  C.  A.     119  Carroll  St.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  July  7,  '18.     Bat.  F;  Bat.  D;  Bat.  C.     Transferred 

to  53d  Am.  Train. 
Khnball,  Richard  M.     Capt.  C.  A.     143  North  Main  St.,  Attle- 
boro,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Dec.  19,  '18.    Supply  Co.  to  June  19,  '18;  C.  0. 

Bat.  B.     Left  at  Brest. 
Kircher,  Edward  A.     Capt.  C.  A.     National  City  Co.,  55  Wall 
St.,  New  York  City. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Oct.  20,  '18.     C.  0.  Bat.  F  to  Apr.  18;  Honor 

Graduate  H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly;  Adj.  2d  Batl.     To  U.  S. 

Transferred  to  31st  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
Knox,  Robert  W.     1st  Lt.  C.  A. 

Apr.   16,   '18 -Oct.  8,   '18.     Bat.   C  to  May  6;  Supply  Co.; 

Radio  Officer  3d  Batl.     Dropped  sick  June  30,  '18.     Returned. 
Kuhlman,  Max  F.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     346  Charlevoix  St.,  Detroit, 
Michigan. 

Oct.  24,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  F.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 


284  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Land,  Herman.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     Salem,  Indiana. 

Oct.  13,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  F.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Leary,  Thomas  J.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Jan.  14,  '18 -(San  Francisco).     HQ.  Co.;  Reg.  Tel.  Officer  to 

Dec.  19,  '18;  C.  0.  Bat.  E. 
Lee,  Manning.    2d  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.    16,    '18 -Sept.    3,    '18.     Bat.    F;  Bat.    E.     Transferred 

to  Anti-Aircraft. 
McCoy,  Thomas  F.     1st  Lt.   F.   A.     601  Dime  Bank  Building, 
Detroit,  Michigan. 

Apr.  16,  '18  -  Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  A  to  Oct.  12;  Bat.  E  to  Oct.  24; 

HQ.    Co.    Reg.    Gas    Officer.     Discharged    at   Ft.    Wright. 
MacDougall,  James  G.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Oct.  22,  '18  -  Dec.  19,  '18.    Adj.  1st  Batl.  to  Nov.  23,  '18;  C.  O. 

Bat.  E.     Left  at  Brest. 
McKenna,  Joseph  M.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  (San  Francisco).     Bat.  E  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Graduate 

H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly.    Bat.  B  to  Oct.  15,  '18;  Adj.  1st  Batl. 

to  Oct.  23;  C.  O.  Bat.  C  to  Nov.  11,  '18.     Transferred  to  57th 

Arty.,  C.  A.  C.     Accompanied  57th  to  San  Francisco. 
McManis,  George  H.     1st  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  July  2,  '18.     Bat.  C  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Bat.  D.     Trans- 
ferred to  54th  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 
MacMuUen,  James  D.    Capt.  C.  A.  San  Diego, 

California. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Sept.  30,  '18.    C.  O.  HQ.  Co.  to  Mch.  4;  Reg. 

Adj.  to  Aug.  18,' 18;  Personnel  Officer.  Transferred  to  Line  School. 
Mead,  Edwin  C.     Capt.  C.  A.  C. 

Jan.  24,  '18 -Sept.  19,  '18.    Supply  Co.  to  Mch.  1,  '18;  C.  0. 

Bat.  A  to  Aug.  23,  '18;  Tel.  Officer.     Transferred  to  Railway 

Arty.  Reserve. 
Meals,  Roy  C.     Capt.  M.  C.     212  Hoffman  Ave.,  Oil  City,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Nov.  6,  '18  -  (San  Francisco).     Surgeon  1st  Batl. 
Metcalf,  Ben.  H.     Capt.  M.  C. 

Jan.   12,   '18 -Feb.  13,  '18.     Reg.  Surgeon.     Transferred. 
Mitchell,  Lawrence  C.     Capt.  C.  A.  Medford,  Mass. 

Mch.  19,  '18 -Aug.  31,  '18.    C.  O.  HQ.  Co.  and  Reg.  Asst. 

Information  Officer  to  Aug.  18,  '18;  Reg.  Adj.     Transferred  to 

3d  Corps. 


Roster — Officers  285 

Moodie,  Robert  Y.     2d  Lt.  C.  A.     7  East  St.,  Lakewood,  Rhode 
Island. 

Nov.,    '18 -Feb.,    '19.     HQ.    Co.   to   Dec.   2;    Bat.    D;    Reg. 

Exchange  Officer  to  Feb.  7,  '19.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Moreland,   Banks   G.     Capt.    C.    A.     2262   Hemphill   St.,   Fort 
Worth,  Texas. 

Nov.   11,  '18 -Dec.   19,  '18.     C.  0.  Bat.  C.     Left  at  Brest. 
Morrison,  Douglas  M.     1st  Lt.  C.  A. 

Oct.   7,   '18 -Dec.    19,    '18.     Bat.   A;  Administration  Officer; 

Bat.  F.     Left  at  Brest. 
Munson,  Curtis  E.     2d  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  C.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Murray,  Rajnmond  L.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Nov.  11,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Dec.  18,  '17;  Bat.  E  to 

June  26,  '18;  Bat.  D;  Supply  Co.     Transferred  to  51st  Arty., 

C.  A.  C. 
Nagle,  Charles  A.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     855  Revere  Beach  Parkway, 
Revere,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  June  7,  '18.     Bat.  B  to  Apr.  18,  '18.     Transferred 

to  Labor  Co. 
Nestor,  James  E.     Maj.  C.  A. 

Sept.  7,  '18  -  Feb.,  '19.     C.  O.  1st  Batl.  to  Sept.  28,  '18;  C.  0. 

3d  Batl.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Nowak,  Horatio  S.     2d  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Nov.   16,  '18.     Bat.  E  to  July  8,  '18;  Bat.  A; 

Bat.  B. 
Oliver,  Alfred  C,  Jr.     1st  Lt. 

Dec.   4,    '17 -Feb.   6,    '18.     Chaplain.     Transferred   to   Army 

Arty.  HQ.;  later  to  65th  Arty.  C.  A.  C. 
Ostergren,  George.     2d  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.    16,    '18 -Nov.    19,    '18.     Bat.    F;  Bat.    B;  Mechanical 

Officer  3d  Batl.     Injured,  Aug.     Fractured  leg  Beaufort  Nov. 

16,  '18.     Dropped. 
Palmer,  William  B.     1st  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Oct.  31,  '18.     Bat.  A  to  May  21,  '18;  HQ.  Co.; 

Asst.  Town  Major;  Asst.   Information  Officer.     Dropped  sick 

Oct.  31,  '18. 
Pierce,  Richard  D.     1st  Lt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Feb.,  '19.     HQ.  Co.;  Regimental  Exchange  Officer 

to  July  1,  '18;  Bat.  E;  Tel.  Officer,  3d  Batl.     Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 


286  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Prass,  Fred  M.     Capt.  C.  A.     Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

Jan.  24,   '18 -Feb.,  '19.     HQ.   Co.  to  Feb.   13,   '18;  Bat.  E; 

Graduate  H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly;  Adj.  3d  Batl.  to  Dec.  19, 

'18;  Reg.  Adj.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Poland,  Reginald.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     58  Lloyd  Ave.,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 

Dec.  4,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  E  to  May  25,  '18;  C.  0.  Bat.  F 

to  July  8,  '18;  HQ.  Co.;  detached  service  52d  Am.  Train;  Bat. 

D;  Bat.  B.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Ranger,  Leon  B.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     7  Bowers  Ave.,  Somerville,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -(San  Francisco).     Bat.  D;  Regimental  Exchange 

Officer. 
Reed,  Augustus  S.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.    333  Main  St.,  Bridgewater, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  July  2,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Apr.  16,  '18.     Transferred 

to  53d  Ammunition  Train. 
Reed,   Frank   F.     Capt.    C.    A.  Oklahoma. 

Jan.  14,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18.     HQ.  Co.  to  Apr.  16,  '18;  C.  O. 

Bat.  B  to  July  23,  '18;  HQ.  Army  Arty.  1st  Army  to  Nov.  8,  '18; 

Reg.  Adj.     Left  at  Brest. 
Reynolds,  Earl  R.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  (San  Francisco).     Bat.  A  to  Aug.  23,  '18;  Graduate 

H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly;  C.  0.  Bat.  A  to  Oct.  20,  '18;  C.  O.  1st 

Batl.  to  Dec;  C.  0.  Bat.  A. 
Rieger,  Harry.     2d  Lt.  F.  A. 

Oct.  30,  '18  -  Nov.,  '18.     Bat.  F. 
Riley,  Donald  B.     1st  Lt.  M.  C. 

Mch.  1,   '18-Mch.  30,  '18.     Surgeon  1st  Batl.     Transferred. 
Robinson,  Fred.  R.    Maj.  C.  A.    5  Mayflower  Ave.,  Hull,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  June  7.  '18.     C.  0.  Bat.  B  to  Apr.  19,  '18;  HQ.  Co.; 

Adj.  2d  Batl.  to  May  21;  Adj.  1st  Batl.  to  June  1.    Transferred 

to  R.  R.  &  C.  Service.     Later  to  J.  A.  G.  Dept. 
Robinson,  Jesse  M.    2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18  -  June  1,  '18.     HQ.  Co.     Never  joined.     Died  Red 

Cross  Hos.  No.  3,  Paris,  June  1,  '18. 
Rose,  Adolph  T.    2d  Lt.  C.  A.    33  Congress  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Feb.,  '18.     Bat.  F  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Aerial  Observer; 

Mechanical  Officer  to  Nov.  13,  '18;  Supply  Co.     Discharged  at 

Ft.  Wright. 


Roster— Officers  287 

Ross,  V.  C.     Capt.  Ordnance  C. 

Nov.    29,    ^18 -Dec.    14,    '18.     Ordnance    Officer.     Left   with 

guns  at  ArgentoUes. 
Roth,  Harry  C.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     91  Good  St.,  Akron,  Ohio. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  F  to  July  18,  '18;  Bat.  C.     Dis- 
charged at  Ft.  Wright. 
Royer,  Ehno  R.     Maj.  M.  C. 

Mch.  19,  '18  -  Oct.  6,  '18.     Surgeon  1st  Batl.;  Reg.  Gas  Officer. 

Sick  July  16,  '18.     Returned.  Again  Sept.  30,  '18.   Dropped  Oct. 

6,  '18. 
Russey,  John  W.     1st  Lt.  C.  A. 

Nov.  13,  '18 -Dec,  '18.     HQ.  Co.;  Acting  Ordnance  Officer. 
Ryan,  Edwin  M.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     26  Imlay  St.,  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut. 

Oct.  13,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     HQ.  Co.  3d  Batl.     Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 
Ryan,  Frank  H.     1st  Lt.  D.  C.     26  Greendale  Ave.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 

Nov.  19,  '18  -  Nov.  30,  '18.     Dentist,  commissioned  from  ranks. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  5th  Corps. 
Scheer,  Charles  H.  E.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Feb.,  '19-  (San  Francisco).     Personnel  Adj. 
Schofield,  Arthur  B.     2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Jan.  16,  '18  -  Feb.  16,  '18.     Never  joined. 
Schroeder,  Frederick  C.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.    29  Moultrie  St.,  Dorches- 
ter, Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Oct.  26,  '18.    Bat.  F  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  HQ.  Co. 

Transferred  to  Arty.  Observation  3d  Corps  Group. 
Shaffer,  Forest  C.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Jan.  29,  '18  -  Dec.  19,  '18.     Bat.  E  to  Feb.  13,  '18;  HQ.  Co.  to 

Apr.  16;  C.  O.  Bat.  E  and  C.  0.  3d  Batl.  to  May  25,  '18;  C.  O. 

Bat.   E  to  Nov.   11,   '18;  Personnel  Adj.     Left  at  Brest. 
Shinnick,  William  T.     2d  Lt.  C.  A.     86  Frankton  Ave.,  Montello, 
Mass. 

Oct.  30,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  B.    Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Skinner,  Harry  A.     Maj.  C.  A.     118  Locust  St.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  July  26,  '18.     C.  O.  3d  Batl.  to  Dec.  30,  '17;  C.  0. 

2d  Batl.  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Graduate  H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly. 

Transferred  to  56th  Arty.,  C.  A.  C. 


288  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Smith,  F.  A.  D.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Dec,  '17.     Never  joined. 
Smith,  Neal  D.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     5715  Race  Ave.,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Apr.  16,  '18  -  Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  E  to  July  8,  '18;  HQ.  Co.;  Orien- 

teur  Ofl&cer  3d  Batl.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Smith,    Walter    B.     Maj.    C.    A.  Providence,    Rhode 

Island. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  (San  Francisco).     C.  0.  Bat.  E  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Adj. 

1st  Batl.  to  May  21,  '18;  Adj.  3d  Batl.  to  May  31;  Adj.  1st 

Batl.  to  Oct.  8,  '18;    C.  0.  2d  Batl. 
Smith,  William  L.     Capt.  C.  A.     16  Crest  St.,  Concord  Junction, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  E  to  Dec.  18;  Reg.  Orienteur  to 

July  20,  '18;  Graduate  H.  Arty.     School,  Mailly;  C.  O.  HQ. 

Co.  Aug.  31,  '18,  to  Feb.,  '19;  Operations.     Discharged  at  Ft. 

Wright. 
Stack,  John  G.     1st  Lt.  D.  C.     182  West  88  St.,  New  York  City. 

Feb.    19,    '18 -Dec.    22,    '18.     Dentist.     Transferred  to   Base 

Sect.  No.  5. 
Stewart,  William  J.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     5  Sunnyside  Ave.,  Somerville, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -July  8,  '18.     Bat.  B  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Bat.  A  to 

July  8,  '18.     Transferred  to  Aerial  Observer  99th  Squadron. 
Stitt,  John  A.     Capt.  C*.  A.     14  Bay  St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

Dec.  20,  '17  -  Nov.  11,  '18.     Adj.  3d  Batl.  to  Feb.  1,  '18;  C.  O. 

Bat.  D  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  C.  0.  Supply  Co.  from  May  25  to  Nov. 

11,  '18.     To  U.  S. 
Stryker,  Glover  P.     1st  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -Jan.,  '19.     Bat.  B  to  June  11;  Bat.  C;  Bat.  D 

to  Sept.  4,  '18;  Graduate  H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly;  Bat.  A  to 

Jan.,  '19.     Dropped  sick  June  5,  '18.     Returned.     Sick  Brest 

Jan.     To  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Talbot,  Ivan.     2d  Lt.  C.  A. 

Oct.  24,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  E;  Graduate  H.  Arty.  School, 

Mailly.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Vickers,  Arthur  W.     2d  Lt.  C.  A.     642  River  Ave.,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  (San  Francisco).    HQ.  Co.  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Graduate 

H.  Arty.  School,  Mailly;  Bat.  F  to  Dec.  19,  '18;  C.  O.  Bat.  F, 

and  after  Feb.  of  Bat.  B  also. 


Roster— Officers  289 

Warshaw,  Nathaniel.    2d  Lt.  C.  A.    11  Bedford  St.,  Quincy,  Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Feb.,  '19.     Bat.  D;  Bat.  F  to  Oct.  11,  '18;  Bat.  A 

to  Oct.  24,  '18;  HQ.  Co.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Wheelock,  John  G.     2d  Lt.  F.  A. 

Apr.  16,  '18 -July  6,  '18.     Bat.  E;  Bat.  F.     Transferred    to 

53d  Ammunition  Train. 
Whittemore,  Irving  C.    1st  Lt.  C.  A.    36  Linnaean  St.,  Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Feb.,  '19.     HQ.  Co.;  Adj.  3d  Batl.  to  Mch.  21; 

Graduate  H.  Arty  School,  Mailly;  Bat.  B  to. Aug.  19,  '18;  Bat. 

A  to  Aug.  30,  '18;  Adj.   1st  Batl.  to  Oct.  15,  '18;  Orienteur 

Officer  1st  Batl.  to  Nov.;  Gas  Officer  1st  Batl.  to  Dec.  19,  '18; 

Personnel  Adj.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Wilson,  Cary  R.    Maj.  C.  A.    614  Botetourt  St.,  Norfolk,  Virginia. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Oct.  19,  '18.     Adj.  1st  Batl.  to  Feb.  1,  '18;  C.  0. 

Bat.  C  to  May  23;  C.  0.  2d  Batl.  to  Sept.  28,  '18;  C.  O.  1st  Batl. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  23,  '18.     Returned.    To  U.  S. 
Wilson,  Ralph  W.     Maj.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17  -  Aug.  22,  '18.     C.  O.  Supply  Co.  to  May  25,  '18; 

C.  0.  3d  Batl.  to  June  26,  '18;  Personnel  Officer.     Transferred 

to  3d  Corps,  Munitions  Officer. 
Winn,  John.     Capt.  C.  A. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Oct.,  '18.     C.  O.  Bat.  A  to  Mch.  1,  '18;  Adj.  1st 

Batl.  to  Apr.  18,  '18;  Graduate  H.  A.  School,  Mailly;  Adj.  3d 

Batl.     Transferred  to  StaiBf  College. 
Wray,  William  E.     Maj.  M.  C.     Campbell,  Minnesota. 

Mch.  1,  '18 -Feb.,  '19.     Reg.  Surgeon  to  June  20;  Surgeon  3d 

Batl.  to  Dec.  2,  '18;  Reg.  Surgeon.     Discharged  at  Ft.  Wright. 
Youngberg,  Adolph  F.     1st  Lt.  C.  A.     345  W.  Washington  Ave., 
Madison,  Wisconsin. 

Dec.  4,  '17 -Dec.  19,  '18.     Bat.  A  to  Apr.  19;  Adj.  1st  BatL 

to  May  18,  '18;  Reg.  Gas  Officer  to  Oct.  20,  '18;  C.  0.  Bat.  A 

to  Nov.;  Bat.  A.     Left  at  Brest.     Oct.  10  cited  for  gallantry 

in  5th  Corps  orders. 
Zearing,  Louis  A.     2d  Lt.  F.  A.     Princeton,    Illinois. 

Apr.  16,  '18  -  Feb.,  '19.     HQ.  Co.  to  Sept.  27,  '18;  Supply  Co.; 

Reg.    Transportation   Officer.      Discharged   at   Ft.    Wright. 


19 


COMMANDING  OFFICERS,  HQ.  CO. 

James  D.  MacMuUen,  Dec.  15,  '17-Mch.  4,  '18. 
Chester  E.  Dodge,  Mch.  4,  '18-Mch.  21,  '18. 
Lawrence  C.  Mitchell,  Mch.  21,  '18- Aug.  18,  '18. 
Carl  W.  Bettcher,  Aug.  18- Aug.  31,  '18. 
WilUam  L.  Smith,  Aug.  31,  '18 -Feb.,  '19. 

A  name  without  note  indicates  that  the  man  served  with  the 
regiment  thruout  its  entire  career.  A  date  printed  beneath  the 
name  on  the  left  side  of  the  page  indicates  the  time,  subsequent 
to  the  regiment's  formation,  when  the  man  became  a  member; 
a  date  on  the  right  side  indicates  the  time,  prior  to  Feb.,  1919, 
of  his  separation  from  the  command.  No  date  at  the  right  indicates 
discharge  when  the  regiment  demobiUzed.  The  rank  indicated 
with  a  name  is  that  possessed  by  the  man  at  the  conclusion  of 
his  service. 

Note — Access  to  the  qualification  cards  became  impossible 
soon  after  the  armistice;  and  this  roster  had  to  be  compiled  entirely 
from  indirect  sources.  The  explanation  of  the  lack  of  certain 
information  is  obvious. 

Abate  577804  Arthur  V.    Pvt.  916  Bennington  St.,  East  Boston, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick.     Returned  to  Co. 
Adair  259835  Joseph  E.  Pvt.  Norman,  Oklahoma. 

Aug. 
Addy  578674  Joshua  F.  Pvt.  261  Pope  St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14.     Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 
Ahem  577805  Thomas.    Cpl. 

June. 
Ahman  577806  John  L.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  27. 
Alexander  576429  Charles  W.    Master  Gunner. 

Officer's  training  school    (commissioned  2d  Lt.  C.  A.  Ap^.  21, 

'19)  Oct. 
Anderson  577807  Helmer  H.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  14. 


Roster— HQ.  Co,  291 

Anderson  577809  William  E.    Pvt.    112  Cranch  St.,  Quincy,  Mass. 
Andrews  580352  Charles.    Pvt. 

Mus  2d  CI.  until  July. 
Archambo  593849  Arthur  W.    Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd.  Phoenix,  New  York. 

Nov. 
Archibald  694125  Lester  E.    Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd.  163  Hancock  St., 
Everett,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Atwood  577808  Alvin  C.    Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd.  Silver  Creek,  Mississippi. 
Aubin  577810  Joseph  C.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  14. 
Baird  577811  Samuel  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.  475  Dudley  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Baptista  578685  Joseph.    Pvt.     18  Hope  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Baraett  577812  Minis  M.    Cpl.     Meeker,  Oklahoma. 

June.     Dropped  sick  June  21.     Returned  to  Co.     Again  Aug. 

26.     Again  returned. 
Barrett  579302  Leo  J.    Pvt.    58  WestviUe  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
Bartlett  2454529  Arthur  H.    Pvt.    80  Dawes  St.,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Bass  577813  Charles  W.    Pvt  1st  CI.     1424  South  9th  St.,  Padu- 

cah,  Kentucky. 
Beaumier  577814  Arthur.     Pvt  1st  CI.    218  Abbott  St.,  Law- 
rence, Mass. 
Beck  579850  Raymond  J.    Pvt.    30  Grenville  St.,  Dorchester, 
Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  E.      Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14. 
Bennett  579540  Morris.    Pvt.    53  Stanwood  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

Nov.  13. 
Benton  813307  EUsha  O.    Sgt.    R.  F.  D.  No.  73,  Wilson  Boule- 
vard, Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Nov.  13. 
Bidwell  577815  Charles  A.     Radio  Sgt.    Stockbridge,  Mass. 
Bigg  577816  Louis  L.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Andrews  May  16. 
Blanchard  577817  Anthony  J.    Pvt.  1st  CI.    P.  0.  Box  18,  Mil- 
ford,  Connecticut. 


292  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

In  Ordnance  Dept.  July  and  Aug.    Dropped  sick  Oct.  11.    Re- 
turned. 
Blanchard  577819  D.  Ray.     Pvt   1st  CI.     476  Hall  St.,   Man- 
chester, New  Hampshire. 

Battalion  Postman. 
Blaser  577818  Arthur  F.     Mus  3d  CI.    40  Kendrick  St.,  Law- 
rence, Mass. 
Began  577820  James  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Andrews  May  16. 
Bowen  577821  WiUiam  H.     Radio  Sgt. 

Detached  to  3d  Army  Corps  Nov. 
Brennecke  577822  Clarence  H.     Cpl, 

Transferred  to  Bat.  E,  Aug. 
Briggs  578700  Jesse  A.     Pvt. 

June.    Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Brimer  577823  Jake  P.     Bug.     R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Newman,  Georgia. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Bromberg  576848  Justin  L.     Master  Gunner.     12  Florence  St., 
Roslindale,  Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C.      Dropped  sick  Oct.  23.    Re- 
turned. 
Brooks  578701  John  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     238  Vermont  St.,  West 
Roxbury,  Mass. 

Aug.    Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Broughman   577824  Russell.     Cpl.     Band.     559   West   140   St., 

New  York  City. 
Brown  577825  John  F.     Sgt.     35  Banks  St.,  Winthrop,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  7. 
Brown  580464  Wilfred.     Pvt.     15  Grover  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Bruker   578010   Joseph   H.     Cook. 

Nov.     Transferred  from  Sup.  Co. 
Bryant  577109  Harold  B.    Pvt.     19  Gordon  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 

Dec.     Transferred  from  Bat.  A. 
Bryant  577826  Seth  M.     Master  Gunner.     17  Warland  St.,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 
Buhrig  577827  August  R.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Burgess  3075308  Robert  P.     Pvt.     Rex  Hotel,  Eveleth,  Minne- 
sota. 

Nov. 


Roster—HQ.  Co.  293 

Burr  577828  Theodore  B.     Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd. 

p^  Dropped  sick  May  18.     Returned.     Again  Dec. 

Bushey  577829  Albert  O.     Cpl.     86  Appleton  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  14. 
Byes  577830  Joy  E.     Cpl.     Band.     Heber  Springs,  Arkansas. 
Cahill  577831  Thomas  M.     Sgt.     107  Dundas  St.,  City  Glasgow, 

Scotland. 
Caido  578705  Jacqum  M.     Pvt.     51  South  St.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
CampbeU  577832  Matt  M.     Sgt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  6,  Manchester, 

Tennessee. 
Campbell  577834  Raymond  F.     Bug.     10  Blakeland  St.,   Law- 
rence, Mass. 
Transferred  to  Bat.  A  Dec. 
Cannon  576434  James  L.     Radio  Sgt.     Cairo,  Georgia. 

Sick  Apr.  29.     Returned  to  duty. 
Cantino  576853  Antonio.     Pvt.     340  Revere  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 

Sept.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C. 
Carrie  577833  Frank  L.     Wag,     24  Cuba  St.,  Andover,  Mass. 
Cartwright    577835    Thomas    E.     Pvt.    1st    CI.     734    Fifth    St., 
Bristol,  Tennessee. 
Dropped  sick  June  27.     Returned.     Again  Aug.  2.     Returned. 
Casey   577836   John   F.     Cpl.     Casey   Court,    Newport,    Rhode 

Island. 
Cash   577837   Winthrop   A.     Wag.     15   Carson   St.,    Pawtucket, 

Rhode  Island. 
Caswell  577838  Harry  A.     Sgt.     89  Parker  St.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Oct.  17.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  a  casual. 
Cerra    577839    Joseph.     Mus    3d    CI.     St.    Cipriano,    Picentino 

Prov.,  Salerno,  Italy. 
Chadwell  577840  Otis  H.     Radio  Sgt. 

To  officers'  training  school  (commissioned  2d  Lt.  C.  A.  Apr. 
21,  '19)  Oct. 
Champagne  577841  Leon.     Mus  3d  CI.     514  Moody  St.,  Lowell, 

Mass. 
Chandler  576431  William  E.     Master  Gunner.      315  Pearl  St., 

Hartford,  Connecticut. 
Cheever  577842  John  J.  Wag. 


294  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Circeo  576435  Charles  J.    Radio  Sgt.    22  Battery  St.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Clark  577843  Charles  M.    Mess  Sgt.    826  Fellsway,  Medford, 
Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Clougherty   577844   Mark  J.    Pvt   1st   CI.     115   Williams   St., 

Jamaica  Plain,  Mass. 
Cohen    578717    Joseph.    Pvt.    683    Cleveland    St.,    Brooklyn, 
New  York. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Conaty  577845  Harry  J.     Mus  3d  CI.     143^  School  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
CooUdge  577846  Earl  L.  M.     Cpl.    Band.     173  Shute  St.,  Everett, 

Mass. 
Cooney   579885  Earl  L.    Sgt.    42  Boylston  Ave.,   Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 
May.     Transferred  from  Bat.  E,  55th  Arty. 
Cordes   577847   Edmund   W.    Sgt.    Band.    528   Ninety-Second 

St.,  Brooklyn,  New  York. 
Corkhum  579331  Linsey  A.    Pvt.     129  Main  St.,  Winthrop,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
Corridan  577848  James  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.    228  Washington  St., 
Weymouth,  Mass. 
Killed  in  action  Montfaucon  Oct.  14. 
Courtney  577849  Frank  D.    Radio  Sgt.     113  Revere  St.,  Win- 
throp, Mass. 
Cox  577850  John.    Mus  3d  CI.    73  East  South  St.,  Wilkesbarre, 

Pennsylvania. 
Cram  577851  Lowell  H.    Cpl.    Massachusetts  Ave.,  West  Acton, 
Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Crandell  577852  William  C.    Cpl.    63  Lake  Ave.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.,  Army  Arty.  Nov. 
Cressy  577853  Fred  A.    Pvt  1st  CI.    34  Chestnut  St.,  Wake- 
field, Mass. 
Cummmgs  579335  George  W.    Pvt.    R.  F.  D.    Wenham  St., 
Danvers,  Mass. 
June.    Transferred  from  Bat.  F.    Commended  in  regimental 
orders  Sept.  14. 


Roster— HQ.  Co.  295 

Cumminskey  577855  Thomas  E.    Cook. 

Dropped  sick  July  10. 
Dacey  577856  Frederick  J.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  3. 
Dahlquist   577857   Victor.     Cook.    25   Hilberg   Ave.,   Brockton, 
Mass. 
Transferred  to  Sup.  Co.  Oct. 
Dalton  139233  Robert  C.     Cpl.     Benicia,  California. 

Oct.     Transferred  from  Sup.  Co.,  55th  Arty. 
Daigle  579338  Thomas  J.    Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Returned.  July. 

DeCourcy  577858  Frank  C.     Pvt.     Titusville,  Florida. 
Degnan  577859  Charles  D.    Cpl.     161   Mt.   Vernon  St.,  Win- 
chester, Mass. 
Battalion  Postman. 
Demer    577860    Harry   F.    Cpl.    743    Walter    St.,    Hammond, 

Indiana. 
Desrosiers   577861   Arthur   A.    Mus   3d   CI.    798   Sumner   St., 

Manchester,  New  Hampshire. 
Dieffenbaugh  577862  Harry  A.     Mech.    443  High  St.,  Hunting- 
ton, Indiana. 
Donovan  577863  John  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    98  Auburn  St.,   Law- 
rence, Mass. 
Dowd  577864  William  F.    Mus  3d  CI.    4  Gowers  Court,  Lowell, 
Mass. 
Wounded  Arcis  le  Ponsart  Aug.  18. 
Downs  577865  Edward.     Pvt  1st  CI.     41  Elm  St.,  Andover,  Mass. 

HQ.  Mail  Orderly. 
Downs  577867  Frederick  A.    Pvt.    27  Avon  St.,  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut. 
Doyle  579347  George  J. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Returned  in  July. 
Driscoll  577866  Daniel  J.    Pvt. 

Driscoll  579348  John  C,  Jr.    Pvt.    25  Arthur  St.,  East  Somer- 
ville,  Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Commended  in  regimental 
orders  Sept.  14. 
Dudley  579351  Bela  A.  Pvt.    19  Summer  St.,  Watertown,  Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.   F.     Commended  in  regimental 
orders  Sept.  14. 


296  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Dufresne    577868   Joseph.    Sgt.    Band.    Roxton   Falls,    P.    Q., 

Canada. 
Easterday  297527  James  C.    Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.   D.    Regimental  Postman.     To 
Postal  service  Oct. 
Eldred  577869  John.     Pvt  1st  CI.     139  North  Main  St.,  Andover, 

Mass. 
EUas  577870  Samuel.     Pvt  1st  CI.     333  Hampshire  St.,  Law- 
rence, Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Ellison  577871  Oscar.     Sgt.  Bugler.     17  Cedar  St.,  Salem,  Mass. 
Enebuske  580432  Carl  C.     Master  Gunner. 

Dropped  sick  May  9.     Returned.  Sept. 

Ferris  579363  John  F.  W.     Pvt.     78  Norfolk  St.,   Dorchester, 

Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Mail  Orderly. 

Fischer  577874  Joseph.     Pvt  1st  CI.     67  Pleasant  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Fisher  577872  Anthony  J.     Cpl.  Band.     188  Bolton  St.,  South 

Boston,  Mass. 
Fitzgerald  577873  Charles  F.     1st  Sgt.     2  CHnton  St.,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Fleming  577875  William  L.    Wag.     50  Falmouth  St.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Foster  576423  Ernest  H.     Engineer.    41   Sheffield  Road,   Ros- 
lindale,  Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Foster  576421  Henry  J.     Engineer.     61  Park  Ave.,  Squantum, 
Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Freeman  577876  Lawrence  A.    Pvt.    1010  Woodward  Ave.,  South 
Bend,  Indiana. 
Wounded  Romagne  Oct.  25. 
Funk  577877  William.     Cpl.     510  Milton  St.,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Gaeta  577878  Michael.     Mus  3d  CI.     122  Princeton  St.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Garfield  580520  Ehner  H.     Pvt.     109  Highland  St.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Gaunt  577879  Lewis.     Mus  3d    01.     296   Broadway,   Lawrence, 
Mass. 


Roster— HQ.  Co.  297 

Gavin  579921  Joseph  S.     Cpl.     2  Acorn  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.   E.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14. 
Gibb    577880  WiUiam   G.  Pvt.     34   Bates  Ave.,  Quincy,    Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  8.     Returned.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14. 
Gill  577881  Patrick  H.     Pvt. 

Dropped  injured  Sept.  6. 
Glover  577882  John.     Pvt  1st  CI.     237  Broadway,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Goldstein  580358  Abraham.     Cpl.     1725  Sterling  Place,  Brooklyn, 

New  York. 
Gould  577883  George  W.     Mus  3d  CI.     492  Tremont  St.,  Taunton, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  14.     Returned. 
Grant  579389  Robert.     Pvt.     58  Amory  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
Grant  577884  WUliam  H.     Cpl.     12  Midland  St.,  Belmont,  Mass. 
Griffiths  577885  David  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Richmond,  New  York. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Haberstroh  577886  Leo  J.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  injured  Nov. 
Hall  577887  Raymond  J.     Mus  3d  CI.     61  Woodlawn  St.,  Lynn, 
Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Hambipis  577888  Demetrius.     Mus  3d  CI.     Main  St.,  Hayden- 

ville,  Mass. 
Hammond  297051  Coral  W.     Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Transferred  to  Bat.  E  Sept. 
Hannon  577889  Henry  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Chestnut  St.,  Franklin, 

Mass. 
Hardy  577890  Thomas  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     268  E  St.,  South  Boston, 
Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Harrow  577891  John  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     P.  0.  Box  104,  Kittery 

Point,  Maine. 
Hatfield  577181  Louis  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Littleton,  West  Virginia. 

Dec.     Transferred  from  Bat.  A. 
Hathaway  576925  Creed  W.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Newport  News,  Virginia. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C,  55th  Arty. 


298  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Healey  577892  Walter  E.    Pvt.    76  First  St.,  Melrose,  Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Hiatt  577893  Wayne.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  July  19. 
Hill    577894   William   J.    Cpl.     132    Hohman   St.,    Hammond, 
Indiana. 

Regimental  Postman. 
Hillner  577895  Herman.    Mus  1st  CI.     15  Park  St.,  Lawrence, 

Mass. 
Hines  577896  Frank  S.    Pvt  1st  CI.    41  Irving  Ave.,  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Holder  503007  Earl  C.    Pvt.    Clifton,  Texas. 

Nov. 
Hood  3073188  William  T.    Pvt.    4127  Montgall  Ave.,  Kansas 
City,  Missouri. 

Nov. 
Hoskins  503304  Edward.    Pvt.    Wellsville,  Utah. 

Nov. 
Houck  521876  Grantley  M.    Bug.    Crescent  City,  California, 

Dec. 
Howard  590723  Frank  L.    Cpl.    397  Broadway,  Revere,  Mass. 
Huggins  2901236  Hubert.    Pvt.    Cohasset,  Alabama. 

Nov. 
Hughes  579401  Charles  E.    Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F,  55th  Arty.     Transferred  to 

Bat.  E,  55th,  July. 
Hushon  578779  William.    Pvt.    20  Welcome  St.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Ismond  297276  Wallace.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Houghton  Lake,  Michigan. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Jackson  577897  Harry  G.    Cook. 

July. 
Johnston  577898  George  L.    Cpl.    446  Emerson  Ave.,   Indiana- 
polis, Indiana. 
Jones  577899  Clarence  D.    Cpl.    309  Indiana  Ave.,   Hammond, 
Indiana. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment.    Commended  in 

regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 


Roster— HQ.  Co.  299 

Jones  503277  Daniel.     Cpl.     1627  Carteret  Ave.,  Pueblo,  Colorado. 

Nov. 
Jones  577903  OdeU.     Pvt  1st  CI.     R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Greenville, 
South  Carolina. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.     Rejoined  Co.  in  U.  S. 
Jones  577901  Walter  E.     Cpl.    8  Cross  St.,  Somerville,  Mass. 
Jouannett  579407  Paul  C.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Aug.     Transferred   from   Bat.    F.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14.   Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Jowett   577900  Arthur   V.     Cpl.     207   Farnham   St.,   Lawrence, 

Mass. 
Jubette  578781  Ernest  J.    Pvt.    265  Front  St.,  Weymouth,  Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Ord.  Dept. 
Kaler  576432  Harold  A.     Asst.  Engineer.     227  Ash  St.,  Waltham, 
Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.   14.    Sick  Brest  Jan. 

Dropped.    Evacuated  to  U.  S. 
Kaye  578319  Walter  H.    Cpl.    21  Farley  St.,  South  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B. 
Kelley  577902  Joseph  F.    Cpl.     19  U  St.,  Allerton,  Hull,  Mass. 

Sept.     Returned  to  HQ.  Co.  from  Bat.  A. 
Kelley  577904  Maurice  L.     Radio  Sgt.    Morrisville,  Vermont. 
Kenton  577905  Louis.    Sgt.     173^  North  Main  St.,  Mansfield, 

Ohio. 
King  577906  Mathew  J.  P.    Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd.    822  East  41   St., 
Baltimore,  Maryland. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  23.     Returned.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14. 
Knoll  577907  George  F.    Pvt.    R.  F.  D.  No.  5,  Osgood,  Indiana. 
Konvalin  577908  Alois.     Mus  3d  CI.     Winner,   South  Dakota. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  7.     Returned.     Again  Oct.  17.     Returned. 
Kramer  720034  Jesse  L.    Sgt.    8811  Lorraine  Ave.,  Cleveland, 
Ohio. 

Dec. 
Krebbs  577909  Fred.    Pvt  1st  CI.    7  Pearl  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  3.     Returned.     Again  July  20.     Returned. 
Kress  577910  Theodore  G.    Sgt.    South  Jefferson  Ave.,  Ithaca, 

Michigan. 
Kujawaski  577911  Stanley  J.    Cpl. 


300  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Commended   in   regimental    orders    Sept.    14.     Dropped   sick 
Oct.  27. 
LaFlamme   577912  Samuel  K.     Cpl.     309  Dubuque  St.,   Man- 
chester, Mass. 
Landy  578788    William.     Pvt.     110    Steven    St.,    New    Bedford, 
Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Dropped  wounded  Recicourt 
Oct.  3.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Langley  577913  WilUam  W.     Pvt.     20  Minot  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Lavallee  578796  Emile  W.     Bug.     311  Coffin  Ave.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat  D.     Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned 
with  Regiment. 
Lavoie    577914   William.     Mus   3d   CI.     87   West   Bartlett   St., 

Brockton,  Mass. 
Lavoine  578794  Raymond  T.     Pvt.     27  Paris  St.,  Everett,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Lee   577915  Benjamin  J.     Pvt.     37  Dunlap  St.,  Salem,   Mass. 

Dropped  sick  May  15.     Returned  July. 
Lefave   580516   Albert.     Pvt.     56   Willow   Dell,   North   Adams, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Leighton  577916  Harry  E.     Pvt.     Lexington  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Levine  578806  Benjamin.     Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Dropped  sick  July  31. 
Lewis  577917  Lawson  F.     Cpl.     Spiro,  Oklahoma. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  7.     Returned. 
Lewis  577919  WilUam  S.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  8.     Returned.     Dropped  wounded  Mont- 
faucon  Oct.  14. 
Linden  577918  Kurt  E.    Asst.  Band  Leader.     131  St.  Botolph 

St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Lundberg   297287   Herbert   W.     Wag.     1901  South  Washington 
Ave.,  Lansing,  Michigan. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
MacDonald  579424  Gordon  C.    Pvt.    22  Waverly  St.,  Maiden, 
Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 


Roster— HQ.  Co.  301 

Maradei    577920    Salvator.     Pvt.     84    Norton    St.,    Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Marion  577921  Joseph  B.     Cpl.     6  Holland  St.,  Union  Springs, 

New  York. 
Martel  579592  Hermaidas.     Pvt. 

Nov. 
Martin  577922  Anton.     Mus  2d  CI.     216  Waldo  St.,  Rumford, 

Maine. 
Matthews  577923  WiUiam  T.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 
Mazzur    576422   Amedee    S.     Master   Elec.     203  Windsor  Rd., 
Waban,  Mass. 
May.     Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
McArthur    577924    Robert.     Sgt.     General    Delivery,    Woburn, 
Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
McCarrick  578814  Thomas  J.     Wag.     35  Winthrop  Ave.,  Revere, 
Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
McCarthy  577925  William  J.     Pvt.     26  Pearson  St.,  Andover, 

Mass. 
McCoy  577926  Ora  G.     Cpl. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  14. 
McDonough   577927  Frank  P.     Pvt   1st   CI.     64  Oregon  Ave., 
Lawrence,  Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
McDonough  577929  John  J.     Cpl.     707  West  Chase  St.,  Balti- 
more, Maryland. 
McEhoy  577928  Joseph.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  May  16  Camp  Merritt. 
Mclnnis  577930  Frederick  A.     Sgt.     Fortune  Ridge,  P.  E.  Island, 

Canada. 
McKenney  579445  Edward  J.     Pvt.     29  Marcella  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
Merrifield  577931  Prescott  B.     Pvt  1st  CI.     16  Worcester  St., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Mikolajczyk  577932  Ludwig  E.     Mus  3d  CI.     165  Cedar  Grove 
St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Aug.  5.     Returned. 


302  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Miller  557933  Alfred  G.    Mus  3d  CI.    5  Jordan  Ave.,  Lawrence, 

Mass. 
Miller  577935  Otie.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 
Milligan  577934  Ralph  E.     Cpl.     Anthony,  Florida. 

Battalion  Postman. 
Milton  577936  Leo  J.    Wag.    6  Eaton  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  28. 
Moginot  577937  Francis  L.    Sgt. 
•     Officer's  training  school  Oct. 
Moore  577938  Stephen  J.    Sgt  Maj  Sr  Gd. 

Officer's  training  school,  July. 
Moran  577937  James  J.     Cpl.    53  Richmond  St.,  Clinton,  Mass. 
Morris  577940  Harold  E.     Cpl.    75  Clarke  St.,   Lynn,   Mass. 
Morrison  297306  Thomas  A.    Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.   D.     Transferred  to   Sup.    Co. 

Aug. 
Mulvey  581001  Frank  M.    Pvt.    200  Ives  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 
Island. 

Nov. 
Murray  577941  George  L.      Cpl. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Andrews  May  16. 
Murray  577943  Walter  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    33  Blue  Hill  Ave.,  Rox- 
bury,  Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Murphey  577942  Arthur  T.    Cpl.     180  Shirley  St.,   Winthrop, 

Mass. 
Murphey  577944  Leo  F.    Mus  3d  CI.    23  Wilson  Ave.,  Maiden, 

Mass. 
Murphy  577946  John  J.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  C  Sept. 
Nealey  577945  William  L.    Pvt  1st  CI.    20  Swan  St.,  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
O'Brien  577947  John  A.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

O'Connell   579466   Charles   H.    Pvt.     185   Green  St.,   Jamaica 
Plain,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
O'Connor  577948  James.    Pvt  1st  CI.    315  Delaware  St.,  Corry, 
Pennsylvania. 


Roster— HQ,  Co,  303 

Dropped  sick  May  14.     Returned.     Commended  in  regimental 
orders  Sept.  14. 
0*Neil  577949  Thomas  P.    Pvt  1st  CI.     82  Avon  St.,  Lawrence, 

Mass. 
Opdyke  577950  Eugene.     Mech.    R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Washington, 

New  Jersey. 
Palizzolo  577951  Charles.     Mus  1st  CI.    49  Newman  St.,  South 
Boston.  Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Aug.  24.     Returned. 
Parkey  577952  Peter  J.    Cpl. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  11. 
Partlow  577953  Frank  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    25  Milk  St.,  Lawrence, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Aug.  4.     Returned. 
Patrick  577954  Clarence  G.    Supply  Sgt.    Jefferson  City,  Ten- 
nessee. 
Pearce  577955  Ernest  R.     Cpl.     167  First  St.,  Macon,  Georgia. 
Pearson  580513  Richard.     Pvt.     106  Pinkham  Ave.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Perkins  581127  WiUiam  A.    Pvt  1st  CI.    503  West  169  St.,  New 
York  City. 
Nov. 
Perlitz  577956  Henry  W.     Mus  1st  CI.     19  Vernon  St.,  Hartford, 
Connecticut. 
Dropped  sick  June  18.     Returned. 
Peters  578066  Charles.     Cook.    646  Boston  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

July.     Transferred  from  Supply  Co.  55th  Arty. 
Phillips  577957  William  J.     Sgt.     Tamaqua,  Pennsylvania. 

Died  on  H.  M.  S.  "Cretic'^  Jan.  12,  1919. 
Pinnell   577958   Thomas.     Pvt.     15   Oakland   Road,   Brookline, 

Mass. 
Porter  577959  Frank  M.     Sgt.     Silver  Lake,  New  Hampshire. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Porter  577961  Rudolphus.     Sgt.     38  St.  Botolph  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Powell  577960  Daniel  C.     Sgt.     359A  Summer  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
Powers  577962  James  L.     Cook.     31  Winthrop  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  May  1.     Returned  to  Co. 
Poynter  577963  Gustavus  M.    Cpl.    8  Duxbury  Road,  Worcester, 
Mass. 


304  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Punch  578067  Arthur  A.  C.     Cpl. 

Aug.  Transferred  from  Supply  Co.     Regimental  Postman.    To 

Postal  Service  Oct. 
Pyatt  594531  Richmond.     Cpl.     2  Alcott  St.,  Allston,  Mass. 

May.     Transferred  from  Supply  Co. 
Quenneville  580721  Joseph  A.  Pvt.  36  Bridge  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Reed  578864  Albert  C.  H.     Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14.  Nov. 

Reith  577964  George  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     75  Essex  St.,  Cliftondale, 

Mass. 
Ricketson  578867  Ernest  H.     Pvt.    45  Main  St.,  Somerset,  Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Riedinger  577965  Clifford  G.     Cpl. 

Sept. 
Ripley  577966  Alden  S.     Mus  3d  CI. 

Transferred  to  G.  H.  Q.  Band.     Dec. 
Robert  577967  Arnold  A.,  Jr.    Sgt.    15  Boulevard  Terrace,  Allston, 

Mass. 
Robinson  577968  Edward  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.     36  Dartmouth  St., 

Maiden,  Mass. 
Roebuck  579488  Warren  R.     Pvt.     83  Irving  St.,  Framingham, 
Mass. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
Russo  579493  Eugenio.     Mus  3d  CI.     40  Vinton  St.,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 

Oct.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
Ryan  577969  Daniel  C.     Mus  3d  CI. 

Commended   in   regimental   orders   Sept.    14.      Dropped   sick 

Oct.  19. 
Salley    581133    Michael    B.     Cpl.     79    Beekman    St.,    Saratoga 
Springs,  New  York. 

July.     Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Sanford  577970  James  K.     Mech.     Nonini  Grove,  Virginia. 
Saunders   577971    WilUam   H.     Cpl.     15    Crown   St.,    Webster, 

Mass. 
Schelitzche  577973  Frank  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Waconia,  Minnesota. 
ScheUing  577972  Phillippe.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  11. 


Roster— HQ.  Co.  305 

Schwenke  577974  Paul  A.     Sgt. 

To  1st  Sgt.  Bat.  C  June. 
Seitz  577975  Jesse  C.     Sgt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  D,  55th,  June. 
Sellers  587620  Dalice  D.     Sgt  Maj  Sr  Gd.     650  Cemetery  St., 
Jersey  Shore,  Pennsylvania. 
Nov. 
Sharp  577976  Arthur  D.,  Jr.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Osawatomie,  Kansas. 
Sheehan  577977  John  J.     Cpl.     10  Harding  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Shields  577978  John  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     120  Bartlett  St.,  Lowell, 
Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Simmons  580156  George  R.     Pvt.     853  Slade  St.,  Fall  River, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Smith   2454125   Harry  E.     Pvt.     17   Hunneman   St.,    Roxbury, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Smith  577979  Miles  H.     Pvt.     469  Broadway,  Lawrence,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  25.     Returned. 
Smith  577041  Moses.     Pvt.    448  Audubon  St.,  Brookline,  Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C. 
Solomon  577980  Maurice  L.     Pvt.     44  Otis  St.,  Melrose,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  9.     Returned. 
Spaulding    577981    Irving    H.     Cpl.     Tenney    St.,    Georgetown, 

Mass. 
Speck  577982  Fred.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  2  Liverpool. 
Stanton  577983  Patrick  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     16  Harvey  St.,  North 
Cambridge,  Mass. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Stackelek  2454378  WiUiam.     Pvt.    48  Plymouth  St.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Stevens  577984  Charles  W.     Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd. 

To  officer's  training  school   (commissioned  2d  Lt.   C.  A.  Apr. 
18,  '19)  Sept. 
Stevens   577523   Stanley  A.     Radio   Sgt.     11   Urban   St.,    East 
Lynn,  Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Apr.  25.     Returned. 
20 


306  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Strickland    2454522    Harold    E.    Pvt.    Randolph    St.,    Canton, 
Mass. 

Nov. 
Suchecki  577985  Otto  J.    Mus  3d  CI.    70  Village  St.,  Rockville, 

Connecticut. 
Sullivan  579518  Frank  H.    Pvt.     11  Chase  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14. 
Sullivan  577986  John  A.     Cook.     163  Salem  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Svensson  577987  Eric  H.  F.    Band  Leader.     Fort  Warren,  Mass. 
Swift  577988  Archibald  E.     Mus  2d  CI.     North  Amherst,  Mass. 
Switters  577989  John.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  2. 
Tarbox  581044  George  W.    Pvt.    South  Main  St.,  Natick,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Tetlow  577990  Frank  K.     Pvt.     3  Wiltshire  St.,  Winthrop,  Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Tetzlaff  577991  WiUiam  C.     Cpl.     514  South  Eaton  St.,  Albion, 

Michigan. 
Tibbs  577992  Charles  R.    Pvt.     11  Revere  St.,  Winthrop,  Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Tidd    577669   Henry    E.    Radio    Sgt.    West   St.,    Georgetown, 

Mass. 
Tiemey   577993  Richard  J.    Wag.    60  Brattle  St.,   Arlington, 

Mass. 
Townsend  577994  Harland  A.    Cpl.   20  Washington  St.,  Reading, 
Mass. 

Transferred  to  31st  Bri.  Nov. 
Treloar  577995  Daniel  J.    Mus  2d  CI.    34  Dalton  St.,   Boston, 

Mass. 
Trew  580163  Carl  O.    Pvt.    Skates,  Tennessee. 

Nov. 
Varner  577998  Albert  F.    Sgt  Maj  Sr  Gd. 

To  officer's  training  school  Oct. 
Walden  577999  Louis  G.    Cpl.    860  Washington  St.,  Norwood, 
Mass. 

Left  sick  at  Ft.  Andrews.    Rejoined  65th  in  June.    Commended 

in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Walters  496515  Chauncy  D.     Pvt. 

Nov.    Died  at  Donjeux  Dec.  6. 


Roster— HQ.  Co.  307 

Webb  581050  Hugo  V.     Pvt.     125  Carroll  St.,  Hammond,  Indiana. 

Nov. 
Westervelt  3073261  Orlando  P.     Pvt.    Albany,  Indiana. 

Nov. 
Whitcomb  578000  William  H.,  Jr.    Pvt  1st  CI.    140  Chandler  St., 

Boston,  Mass. 
White  577997  Lawrence  E.    Cpl.    421  Western  Ave.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
White  578001  WilUam  L.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14.    Drowned  at  Brest 

Dec.  22. 
Whittle   2454266   George  J.     Pvt.     1036   Broadway,   Haverhill, 
Mass. 

Nov.     Sick  Brest  Jan.     Rejoined  Co.  in  U.  S. 
Wolff  578002  Irving  R.     Cpl.     766  Washington  St.,  South  Brain- 
tree,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  10.     Returned. 
Wood  578003  John  W.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  10.     Returned.     Again  Oct.  11. 
Yew  580437  James.    Pvt.    5  Valley  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

Nov. 


COMMANDING  OFFICERS,   1ST  BATTALION 

Clarence  G.  Bunker,  Dec.  4  -  Dec.  21,  1917. 

James  S.  Dusenbury,  Dec.  30,  '17 -Sept.  8,  18. 

James  E.  Nestor,  Sept.  8  -  Sept.  28,  '18. 

Gary  R.  Wilson,  Sept.  28  -  Oct.  19,  '18. 

Earl  R.  Reynolds,  Oct.  20  -  Dec,  '18. 

J.  W.  Barker,  Dec.  -  Dec.  19,  '18. 

Earl  R.  Reynolds,  Dec.  19,  '18-  Feb.,  '19. 

Commanding  Officers,  Bat.  A 

John  Winn,  Dec.  15,  '17  -  Mch.  1,  '18. 
Edwin  C.  Mead,  Mch.  1,  '18- Aug.  23,  '18. 
Earl  R.  Reynolds,  Aug.  23,  '18  -  Oct.  20,  '18. 
Adolph  T.  Youngberg,  Oct.  20,  '18 -Nov.,  '18. 
James  M.  Harris,  Nov.,  '18  -  Dec.  5,  '18. 
Earl  R.  Reynolds,  Dec.  5,  '18  - 

Ackerson  577076  Leo  G.    Mech. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Albrecht    577078    Herman    G.     Cpl.     320    East    Mulberry    St., 
Kokomo,  Indiana. 
Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
AUen  577079  Arthur.     Bug. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Allen  577081  John  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Needham  Heights,  Mass. 
Allen  577083  Neil.     Pvt  1st  CI.     83  Fulda  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
Alward  577080  Harry  A.     Cpl. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Andreoli  595513  Nicholas.    Pvt.    97  Franklin  St.,  Torrington, 
Connecticut. 
May. 
Armitage   577082  Jack.    Sgt.      (Willow  St.,  Hull,  Mass.)— San 

Francisco,  California. 
Armstrong  577084  Paul  L.     Pvt.    415  South  Franklin  St.,  Munsey, 

Indiana. 
Auger    577085   Wilfred    A.     Pvt.     59    Howard   St.,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 


Roster — Bat.  A  309 

Balcom  2314495  Ralph  W.     Pvt. 

May.  July. 

Baraby   577086  John  J.     Wag.     33   Bridge   St.,   Nashua,    New 

Hampshire. 
Barker   577087   Frank.     Pvt.     32   Phihp   St.,    Lawrence,    Mass. 
Barry  580409  Gerald  A.     Pvt. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Barton  577088  Noel.     Pvt  1st  CI.     15  Locust  St.,  St.  Augustine, 

Florida. 
Bates  577089  Howard  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Summer  St.,  Kingston, 
Mass. 

Left  sick  Ft.  Revere.     Rejoined  Bat.  May. 
Beale  577090  Frank  E.     Pvt.     Oak  St.,  Randolph,  Mass. 
Beaupre  577091  Phidyme  J.    Pvt.    27  Vine  St.,  Nashua,  New 

Hampshire. 
Becker  623707  Thomas  R.     Pvt. 

Oct.  Nov. 

Beckett  577092  Percy  G.     Pvt.     Calais,  Maine. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Dec.  11.     Left  at  Tours. 
Beeman  140211  Charles  L.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

May    10.     Transferred   from    147th    F.    Arty.     Dropped   sick 

Sept.  23.     • 
Bellinger  827994  Edwin  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Monroe,  Washington. 

May, 
Bennett  577093  Charles  F.     Pvt.     Erie,  Kansas. 
Bercume  577094  Israel  N.     Pvt.     12  Rawson  St.,  Leicester,  Mass. 
Berg  2314496  WilUam  J.     Pvt. 

May.     Dropped  injured  Arcis  le  Ponsart  Aug.  19. 
Bmch  577095  Roderick  M.    Pvt.    25  Dalton  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Blais  577096  Frederick  L.     Pvt. 

Killed  in  action  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Bloom  577097  Abraham.     Mech. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  14. 
Booth  2308811  Samuel  A.     Cook. 

May. 
Bosler  623077  Paul.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Miriah  Hill,  Indiana. 

Oct. 
Bowley  577098  Edward  H.     Pvt. 

Dropped  wounded  near  Recicourt  Sept.  26. 
Boyle  577099  Angus  J.    Pvt.     Maboo,  Nova  Scotia. 


310  The  Fifty-fifth  Ariillery 

Bracy  577100  Herbert  I.    Pvt  1st  CI.    63  Wenham  St.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Brady  577101  Thomas  E.    Cook. 
Brayshaw  577103  James  M.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
Brearly  577104  George  R.    Pvt.    320  Plantation  St.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Breckenridge  577105  Norman  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    638  South  Rail- 
road St.,  Newcastle,  Pennsylvania. 
Brey  577106  Lester  K.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  9. 
Brodinsky  577107  Samuel.    Pvt  1st  CI.    92  High  St.,  Holyoke, 

Mass. 
Brown  577108  Conrad.     Cook. 

Wounded  Gesnes  Oct.  31.     Died  Cheppy  Nov.  2. 
Brown  577111  John  O.     1st  Sgt.    Highland  Ave.,  Hull,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  18.     Returned. 
Bryant  577109  Harold  B.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Montfaucon  Oct.  13.     Returned  to  HQ.  Co. 
Bryant  2314497  Harry  L.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

June.  July. 

Burden  577110  John  Q.    Pvt. 

Wounded  Recicourt.    Sept.  26,  1918. 
Burkholder  577112  John.     Cpl.    Hull,  Mass. 

Wounded  Arcis  le  Ponsart  Aug.  14. 
Bushey  577113  Honore  B.    Pvt  1st  CI.    654  Main  St.,  Holyoke, 

Mass. 
Cahill  577114  WUUam  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.     143  Princeton  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Callaghan  577115  Harry  W.    Pvt.    Shawnee,  Kansas. 
Cameron  577116  Kenneth.    Wag. 

Dropped  Dombasle,  leg  fractured  as  gun  broke  thru  bridge, 

Oct.  14. 
Campbell  577410  Manuel.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  0.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  June. 
Campbell  577834  Rajrmond  F.   Bug.    10  Blakeland  St.,  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Dec.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co. 
Campbell  577117  Roy.     Pvt.    Stop  16,  Sharon  Line  R.  F.  D. 
No.  1,  Youngstown,  Ohio. 


Roster— Bat,  A  311 

Carey   577118   Timothy.     Pvt.    8   Brown   St.,    Ipswich,    Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  13.     Returned. 
Carrier  577119  Emile.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped    sick    Apr.    4.     Returned.     Transferred    to    French 
Tractor  School  June. 
Carroll  577120  Thomas  F.     Pvt.     125  Bedford  Ave.,  Brooklyn, 

New  York. 
Carter   577121   Alvin   A.    Wag.    2016   Annabaxter   St.,    Jophn, 

Missouri. 
Cartier  577124  Henry.     Pvt  1st  CI.     107  Fisher  St.,  North  Attle- 

boro,  Mass. 
Christianson  577122  Mauritz  N.     Sgt.     BerUn,  Connecticut. 
Claffery  577123  James  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     12  Midway  St.,  Peabody, 

Mass. 
Coiner  580413  Lloyd  S.     Pvt. 

Dropped  wounded  Oct. 
Coleman  577125  William  C.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B  June. 
Conner  577126  Leroy.     Pvt.     1717  South  Brownley  St.,  Marion, 

Indiana. 
Conroy   577127   Chester.     Wag.    321    Summit   Ave.,    Brighton, 

Mass. 
Cooperstein  578587  Philip.     Pvt.     477  Cross  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 

Transferred  from  Bat.      Nov. 
Corcoran  259830  James  J.    Pvt.    Hitchcock,  South  Dakota. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  E.     Wounded  Gesnes  Oct.    31. 
Cordelia  577585  Carmen.     Pvt  1st  CI.    34  Cook  St.,   Newton, 


Nov. 
Courtney  3070543  Allen  J.    Pvt.     Cross  Plains,  Indiana. 

Nov. 
Cox  623829  Edwin  W.    Pvt.    424  Court  St.,  Auburn,  Maine. 

Oct. 
Cummings  471668  Codie  W.     Cpl. 

Nov.     Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
Curran  577130  Bartholomew  T.    Pvt.    379  Raihoad  Ave.,  Nor- 
wood, Mass. 
Curran  577128  Hartley  M.     Pvt.    Keeraun,  Ballynahood,  County 
Galloway,  Ireland. 


312  The  Fifiy-fifth  Artillery 

Cusolite  577129  Giovanni.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Revere  May  16. 
Cutler  577131  Walter  E.     Pvt.     Lancaster,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  at  Brest  Jan. 
Dale   577132  WilUam  A.    Pvt   1st   CI.     1716   Vondaven  Ave., 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Daley  577133  James  J.     Pvt.    45  Endicott  St.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Wounded  near  Recicourt  Sept.  26. 
Damon  577134  Mark  M.     Pvt.     Natasco  Ave.,  Hull,  Mass. 

Oct.  8.     Cited  for  gallantry  in  5th  Corps  orders. 
Decker  623707  Thomas  R.    Pvt.     221  Wood  Ave.,  Bridgeport, 
Connecticut. 

Nov. 
Demers  577135  Albert.     Pvt.     91  Clifton  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Dempsey  577136  Bernard  F.     Cpl. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Derwin  577137  William  H.    Pvt.     861  Fourth  St.,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Desrosiers  577138  Arthur  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.    6  Mosher  St.,  Holyoke, 

Mass. 
Dillingham    577139    Earl    D.     Cpl.     Cherokee    Ave.,    Gaffney, 

South  Carolina. 
Dixon  577140  Bertrand  E.     Pvt.     30  Canton  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Doble  577141  Lee  F.    Cpl.    C/o  Jordan  Marsh  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

First  battle  casualty  in  55th.     Dropped  wounded  Coulonges 

Aug.  10. 
Doersam  577142  John.     Pvt.     Warren,  Illinois. 
Doherty  577143  Patrick  S.     Pvt.     70  Pearl  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Donohue  582921  John  P.     Cpl.     2419  Fourth  St.,  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. 

July. 
Donohue  577144  John  T.     Pvt.     12  Bird  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Doyle  577145  James  J.    Pvt.     1   Ames  St.,  Worcester,   Mass. 
Droke  577146  David  R.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B  June. 
Duffy  577147  William  J.     Pvt.     79  Grant  St.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 
Dunbar  577148  WiUiam  P.     Cpl.     327  Main  St.,  West  Springfield, 

Mass. 
Eakms  577149  Charles.    Pvt. 

May. 


Roster— Bat.  A  313 

Fahey  577150  Edward.     Pvt.    65  Center  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Fairweather  577151  Stanley.    Pvt. 

Fallas  577152  Elmer  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Harrison  Ave.,  Pennsylvania 

Station,  Pennsylvania. 
Fallu   139242  Albert  J.     Cpl.     1038  East  Main  St.,   Portland, 
Oregon. 
Oct.     Transferred  from  Bat.  E. 
Farrington  577153  Arthur  S.     Sgt.     7  Sever  St.,  Worcester,  Mass. 
Fay  577154  Harold  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Box  56,  Lancaster,  Mass. 
Fitch  580408  Lester  K.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Fitzell  577155  James  M.     Wag.     125  East  White  St.,  Holyoke, 

Mass. 
FlaveU  577156  Thomas  M.     Cpl.     17  Thorndike  St.,  Springfield, 

Mass. 
Fleming  577157  Joseph  F.    Pvt.    5  Ashmont  Ave.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Flynn  577158  Edward.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  28. 
Fontaine  577159  Edward.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  0.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  July. 
Forcier  577160  Paul  M.    Mech.     129  Spring  St.,  Bridgewater, 

Mass. 
Forster  577161  Theodore  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.    Wichita,  Kansas. 
Foust  139243  Earl.     Pvt  1st  CI.     220  North  17th  St.,  Portland, 
Oregon. 
May.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Franklin  577162  Fletcher  R.     Pvt.     General  DeUvery,  Kilbourne, 
Louisiana. 
Dropped  sick  July  2.     Returned. 
Frost  577163  Donald  B.  C.     Cpl. 
Fuller  577164  Fred  R.     Cpl.     Broomfield,  Vermont. 

Left  quarantined  Camp  Merritt.     Rejoined  Bat.  Oct. 
Gallagher  577165  Edward  W.     Pvt.    42  Marion  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Gallagher  577168  Frederick  J.    Pvt.    88  North  Main  St.,  Brock- 
ton, Mass. 
Gendreau  577166  Ephraim  F.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  9.     Returned.     Died  (run  over  by  gun) 
Bar-le-Duc  Nov.  25. 


314  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

George  577167  Emedio.    Pvt  1st  CL 

Transferred  to  Ord.  Dept.  June. 
Gilbertson  140236  George  O.    Pvt.    Dallas,  Wisconsin. 

Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty.  May  10,  '18.     Died  Brest 

Jan.  9,  '19. 
Gilmore  577169  Joseph.    Pvt.    6  Liberty  St.,  Merrimac,  Mass. 
Goodreau  577170  Wilfred.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  0.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  June. 
Goodrow  577172  Frank  J.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  Base  Sect.  No.  5  Jan. 
Gratz  577171  Samuel  P.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Killed  in  action  Montfaucon  Oct.  4. 
Guerard  577173  Henry.    Sgt. 

Dropped  wounded  Oct.  23. 
Guyette  577174  George.    Pvt. 

Aug. 
Hackett  577175  Edmund  W.     Pvt.     Springfield,  Mass. 

Mail  Orderly.    Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.    Left  at  Tours  Dec.  11. 
Hall  577176  Harold  J.     Pvt.     32  Hansborough  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Hall  577179  Lawrence  P.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Nov. 
Hansbury  577177  Patrick  J.     Pvt.     Maloney  Plains,  Pennsylvania. 
Hansen  577178  Ole.     Wag.     5  Mill  St.,  Beverly,  Mass. 
Hanson  581027  Axel  R.     Pvt.     15  Edgemere  Road,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Hanson  577180  John  L.    Wag.     161   Brown  Ave.,   RosHndale, 

Mass. 
Hart  579934  WUliam  B.    Pvt. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.   E.     Dropped   sick   Nov.    13. 
Hatfield  577181  Lewis  W.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  Dec. 
Hathaway  2453670  James  H.    Pvt. 

Nov. 
Hayes  577182  Edward.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Aug. 

Hebb  577183  William  D.    Pvt.    32  Chestnut  St.,  Quincy,  Mass. 
Hehns  623916  Howard.     Pvt. 
Oct.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  24. 


Roster — Bat.  A  315 

Hendry  577184  Joseph  W.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
Hennessey    577185    John    J.     Pvt.     160    Elmwood    St.,    North 

Attleboro,  Mass. 
Herd   577186   William,  Jr.     Sgt.     18   Franklin  Ave.,   Harrison, 

New  Jersey. 
Higgins  577187  John  T.     Bug. 

Wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3.    Dropped  sick. 
Hilton  580697  Ray.     Sgt. 

Nov.     Transferred  to  Base  Sect.  No.  5  Jan. 
Hodges  139262  Walter  B.     Wag.     Richall,  Oregon. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Hoffman  577188  Stanley  F.    Wag.     1314  MuUille  St.,  Sharps- 
burg,  Pennsylvania. 
Holder  577189  Edward  J.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Holmes  577190  Golden  B.     Pvt.     Box  1,  Fairbanks,  Indiana. 
Hohnes  577192  Mark  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     65  Ware  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Holt  577191  Harold  F.     Sgt.     Saylesville,  Rhode  Island. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Holt  577193  Henry  G.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  July  13.     Returned.     Transferred  to  Ordnance 

Dept.  July. 
Horton  577194  John  H.     Pvt  1st  CI. 
Howard  577195  Augustus  P.     Cpl.    R.  F.  D.  No.  5,  Cookville, 

Tennessee. 
Hudak  577196  Walter.    Pvt  1st  CI.    827  Kosciusko  St.,  South 
Bend,  Indiana. 

Died  at  Camp  Mills  Jan.  31. 
Hulcup  579083  WUliam.     Pvt. 

Dropped  detained  Ft.  Revere  May  16. 
Humes  623482  George  J.     Pvt.     246  Yantic  St.,  Norwich,  Con- 
necticut. 

Oct. 
Hunt  577730  Francis  W.     Sgt.     25  Harvard  Ave.,  Allston,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Hupback  623483  Edwm.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Oct.  Nov. 

Irwin  624302  Thomas.    Pvt. 

Oct.  Nov. 

Ivie  577197  John  C.    Sup.  Sgt.     19  Channel  St.,  Hull,  Mass. 


316  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Janik  577198  Michael.    Pvt. 

Jaquith   577199  Edwin.     Wag.     5155  Washington  St.,   Jamaica 

Plain,  Mass. 
Jean  577200  Archille.     Pvt.     141  West  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Jenkins  577201  Cleve  W.     Pvt.     Hingham,  Mass. 
Johns  577202  Charlie.     Sgt.     Hull,  Mass. 

Wounded  in  Argonne  Sept.  26  but  continued  on  duty. 
Johnson  577203  Richard  O.     Pvt.     Jennette,  Pennsylvania. 
Jones  577204  Albert  W.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16.    Joined  Bat.  D, 

56th  Arty. 
Jones  577206  Chester.     Cpl. 

Jones  577208  Frederick  W.    Wag.    73  White  St.,  South  Wey- 
mouth, Mass. 
Jones  577210  William  M.     Pvt.     Wishart,  Missouri. 
Jordan  577207  David  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Plain  City,  Ohio. 

Wounded. 
Joulbert  577209  Philip.    Pvt.    Lanning  Road,  Kingston,  Mass. 
Keenan  577211  Walter.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  20. 
Kelly  577212  Arthur  T.     Cpl.     1595  Beacon  St.,  Brookline,  Mass. 

Wounded  at  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Kelly  578323  Charles  J.,  Jr.    Sgt.     101  Marcella  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 

July.    Transferred  from  Bat.  B. 
Kelly  577902  Joseph  F.    Pvt. 

May.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.     Returned  to  HQ.  Co.  Sept. 
Kennedy  577213  Raymond  D.    Pvt.    R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Cadyville, 

New  York. 
Kenney  577216  William  E.    Pvt.    376  Penn  St.,  Pittsfield,  Mass. 
Kenniston  2454008  George  I.    Pvt.    8  Harvard  St.,  Arlington 
Heights,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Kenny  577214  Fint.     Wag.     R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Ancona,  IlUnois. 
Kidd  577217  Samuel  J.     Cook.    Jackson,  Georgia. 
Kider  577215  Thomas  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Winfred,  Montana. 
Kieve   577218   Harry   M.     Cpl.     (Hull,   Mass.)    San   Francisco, 

California. 
Kilty  577219  Joseph  J.     Pvt.     45  Webster  St.,  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
Kunble  577220  Henry  A.    Pvt  1st  CI.    R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Ripley, 
Ohio. 


Roster^— Bat.  A  317 

Kimnan  577221  George  C.     Cpl.     Route  No.  2,  Independence, 

Kansas. 
Klemens  577222  Henry.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July,  and  to  Bat.  D,  Oct. 
Kohler  580412  Vanvalen.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
KratochvU  577223  WiUiam  T.     Pvt. 

Dropped  injured  (between  guns)  Courville  Sept.  8. 
LaCroix  578330  Hiram  P.     Wag. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Ladd  139824  Leonard.     Sgt. 

May   10.     Transferred  from   147th   F.   Arty.     Transferred  to 

O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3,  June. 
LaFleche  577224  George.    Pvt. 

July. 
Langlois  577225  Edward  A.  '  Pvt.    494  Moody  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Latinik  577225  Joseph.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  Mey  16. 
Lewis  577227  David.     Pvt   1st  CI.     1515  Morris  St.,  Newcastle, 

Pennsylvania.  ^ 

Lewiski  577228  Walter.     Sgt.     99  Broad  St.,  New  Britain,  Con- 
necticut. 
Linde  577742  John  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     12  Middle  River  Road,  Worces- 
ter, Mass. 

Nov. 
Lindequist  578338  Nils  E.     Cpl. 

Sept.     From  Bat.  B.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  10. 
Ling  578337  Fred  H.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Long  577229  Roy.     Sgt. 

Wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  2,  died  Fleury  Oct.  3. 
Lucas  140255  Andrew  E.     Pvt.     Neochurion  Epatis,  Greece. 

May    10.     Transferred   from    147th   F.    Arty.      Dropped   sick 

July  12.     Returned. 
Lucius  577230  Arthur  E.     Pvt.     31  Hope  St.,  East  Boston,  Mass. 
Lueke  577233  Charles  O.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  July  12.     Returned.     Dropped  wounded  Mont- 
faucon Oct.  9. 
Lynch  577232  Thomas  F.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 


318  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Lyons  577234  John  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     254  Roxbury  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 

Wounded. 
Mahoney  577241  George  W.    Cpl.     100  Whitehall  St.,  Quincy, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  27.     Returned. 
Major  577242  Fred  R.     Pvt. 

Dropped  wounded  Sept. 
Manley  577234  Howard  E.    Sgt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Martin  577244  William  T.     Pvt.     Columbia,  South  CaroHna. 

Dropped  sick  July  14.     Returned. 
McCarter  577235  Sanford.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  July. 
McCarthy  577236  Francis  P.    Pvt.     10  Daws  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
McCarthy  577238  WilUam  E.    Cpl. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  .Tours  Dec.  11. 
McClain  577237  George  S.    Mech.     1615  Dorchester  Ave.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 

Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Reg. 
McCraw  1804258  Harry  L.     Sgt. 

July.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  27. 
McGovern  577239  John  S.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Injured  Aug.   9.     Dropped.     Returned  to  Regiment.     Trans- 
ferred to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
McGuire  626411  Michael  J.    Sgt.    32  Beck  St.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

July. 
McLaughlin  577240  Arthur  L.    Pvt.     105  Falson  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Metcalf   577245   Robert  D.    Pvt   1st   CI.    Jonesboro,   Indiana. 
Mihier  577246  James  M.    Wag. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Miner  577247  Francis  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.    2  Springfield  St.,  Feed- 
ing Hills,  Mass. 
Minner  623957  Harry  W.    Pvt. 

Oct.  Nov. 

Misenhuner  577758  John  H.    Pvt. 
Momnie  577248  Conrad.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  0.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  June. 


Roster— Bat.  A  319 

MontUlo  577249  Nicholas.     Pvt.     53  Elm  St.,  Southbridge,  Mass. 
Morgan  577251  William.     Bug. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Morin  577250  Albert  J.     Wag.     95  Exchange  St.,  Chicopee,  Mass. 
Morrarty    577252    Earle    C.     Pvt    1st    CI.     Apponaug,    Rhode 

Island. 
Morris  577253  Charles.    Pvt.    56  Johnson  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

June. 
Morrisett  577254  Augustus.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Morrissey  577253  Charles.    Pvt. 

May.  June. 

Morrissey  577255  William  J.     Pvt.    44  Chopin  St.,  Springfield, 
Mass. 
Injured  Sept.  8.     Evacuated  Sept.  9.     Returned. 
Muggivan  577256  William  J.     Pvt. 

Mulligan  577257  John  J.    Pvt.    53  Bartlett  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Mullin  627223  Thomas.     Pvt.     Reed,  Ontario,  Canada. 

Oct. 
Murray  577258  John  E.    Cpl.    64  Westminster  St.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Apr.  19.     Returned. 
Musselman  577259  Charles  L.    Pvt.    640  Foulenun  Road,  Johns- 
town, Pennsylvania. 
Myers  577260  Floyd  R.     Cpl.    28  South  Hanover  St.,  Carlisle, 

Pennsylvania. 
Nance  577261  John  S.    Sgt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  June. 
Nedved    140274    Charles    G.    Pvt.    Yankton,    South    Dakota. 

June.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Nodine  577262  Charles  W.     Mech.     Great  Barrington,  Mass. 
Noe  577263  Nathan  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.     13  Grove  Place,  Winchester, 

Mass. 
O'Brien  577264  Albert.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
O'Brien  503435  Aneil  K.    Sgt. 

Nov.     Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
O'Hare  577265  Maurice  F.    Pvt.     3  Railroad  Ave.,  Westfield, 
Mass. 


320  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Orr  577266  Romie  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.    44  East  Gerald  Ave.,  High- 
land Park,  Michigan. 
Otterson  139308  Ralph.     Cpl. 

May   10.     Transferred  from   147th  F.   Arty.     Transferred  to 

O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3,  June. 
Padgett  577267  George  W.    Cpl. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Peckham  577268  Fred  L.     Cook.     109  Main  St.,  Winchendon, 

Mass. 
Perkins  577269  Cecil  H.     Pvt.     South  Acton,  Maine. 
Peterson  577270  Rudolph.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Picco  577271  Michael  J.     Pvt.     73  Chadwick  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Pigeon  577272  Numa.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  French  Tractor  School  June. 
Pitts    577272    Aubrey    W.     Pvt.     199    Jefferson    St.,    Newman, 

Georgia. 
Pond   577274  Ehner  R.     Pvt.     322   Madison  St.,    Ft.   Wayne, 
Indiana. 

Edlled  in  action  Gesnes  Oct.  31. 
Porter  577275  LesUe  W.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
Queens  580405  Guy.     Pvt.     2  Orient  Court,  Swampscott,  Mass. 
Raper  577276  Grady.     Pvt. 

Left  sick  Ft.  Revere.     Rejoined  Bat.   May.     Transferred  to 

Prison  Camp,  June. 
Rasner  577277  Albert  H.     Cpl.     11  Maverick  Square,  East  Bos- 
ton, Mass. 
Ratta  577278  Onifire.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Rigby  140282  Byron  H.    Pvt.    P.  0.  Box  No.  243,  Scotis,  Califor- 
nia. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Rivard  580406  Alfred  J.     Pvt.     34  Grove  St.,  Haverhill,  Mass. 
Roderick  578411  Frank.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Roski  577279  Curtis  O.     Pvt.     Penn  Station,  Pennsylvania. 
Ross  577280  Norman  L.     Pvt.     66  Royal  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Rossignol    623556    John    J.     Sgt.     85    Highland    Ave.,    Bridge- 
port, Connecticut. 

Oct. 


Roster — Bat.  A  321 

Rosson  577129  Edward.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Roughan  577282  Thomas  B.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  11. 
Rue  577283  Lawrence  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     1115  East  Sixth  Ave., 

Pine  Bluff,  Arkansas. 
Shall  577285  Edward  C,  Jr.     Pvt  1st  CI. 
Sheehan  577286  William.         Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Shelley  577287  William  O.     Pvt   1st  CI.     78  Brock  St.,   East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Sherry  2454250  Charles  R.     Pvt.     365  Cambridge  St.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Sherwood  577288  Grover  C.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Shuman  577298  Samuel  J.     Pvt. 

Wounded  near  Recicourt  Sept.  26.     Died  Blerecourt  Sept.  27. 
Sunmons  577290  Myril  V.     Pvt  1st  CI.     460  East  Whittington 

St.,  Greensboro,  North  Carolina. 
Simonton  645417  Claude  M.     Wag.     Taylorsville,  Indiana. 

May. 
Smith  577291  James.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  July  13.     Returned.     Again  Sept.  2. 
Stallworth  716435  Mose  T.     Bug.     South  Main  St.,  Greenwood, 
South  CaroUna. 
Dec. 
Stamps  579631  Joseph  A.     Cpl.     R.  F.  D.  No.  4,  Bethpage,  Ten- 
nessee. 
Stapleton  2453755  John.     Pvt.     218  East  Eagle  St.,  East  Boston, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Stodghill  577292  Clarence  O.     Sgt. 

Dropped  wounded  near  Recicourt  Sept.  26. 
Strange  577293  Clarence  C.     Bug.     101  East  Quincy  St.,  North 

Adams,  Mass. 
Streeter  577294  Irving  H.     Cpl.     Hull,  Mass. 
Sumner  577295  Edward.     Pvt.     Pine  Knot,  Kentucky. 
Tate  577296  Ralph  V.     Pvt.     402  Hickory  St.,  Martins   Ferry, 
Ohio. 
Left  sick  Camp  Merritt.     Rejoined  Bat.  May. 
21 


322  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Tate  577298  Ulysses  S.    Pvt.     1702  Hamilton  St.,  Newcastle, 

Pennsylvania. 
Teller  577534  Frank  L.     Pvt.     Terrahella,  California. 

Nov. 
Tenney    577297   Leslie.    Pvt.     16    Otis   St.,    Wakefield,    Mass. 
Terranova  577299  Jacques.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  3. 
Thomas  503356  Frank.     Pvt.     14th  St.,  Bartlettsville,  Oklahoma. 

Nov. 
Trabold  577300  Anthony  W.    Pvt.     179  Springfield  St.,  Feeding 

Hills,  Mass. 
Tunny  577301  Richard.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
infers  139920  John  L.     Wag.     Hurley,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Vozel  577302  Philip  F.,  Jr.    Pvt.     610  Dimianson  St.,  Jeannette, 

Pennsylvania. 
Wagenknecht  577303  Richard  C.    Pvt  1st  CI.    44  East  Jordan 
St.,  Adams,  Mass. 

Died  at  New  York  City  Jan.  27. 
Ward  577304  Adrian.     Mech.     26  Brook  St.,  Somerville,  Mass. 

Left  quarantined  at  Camp  Merritt.     Rejoined  Bat.  Nov. 
Watts  577305  Joseph  H.    Sgt.    Manitowoc,  Wisconsin. 
Weeks   177191  Albert  E.    Sgt.    Eagle   and  Essex  Sts.,  Carey, 
Pennsylvania. 

Nov.     Transferred  from  Ordnance  Dept. 
Welsh  577306  David  H.     Cpl.     1919  South  Twentieth  St.,  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania. 
Whalen  577307  John  S.    Pvt.    647  Summer  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 
White  577308  Thomas  J.    Pvt.    68  Salem  St.,  Worcester,  Mass. 
Wilkmson  580411  Harold  G.    Wag. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  13. 
Williams  577309  Clarence.    Pvt. 

Dropped  "  detained '^  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Williams  576730  Harold  C.    Pvt.    Hall  Terrace,  Windsor,  Ver- 
mont. 

Nov. 
Willis  577310  Eugene  P.     Wag.    Ferrisburg,  Vermont. 
Wilson  605739  Ehner.     Pvt.    Gaston,  North  CaroUna. 

Oct. 


Commanding  Officers,  Bat.  B 

Fred  R.  Robinson,  Dec.  15,  '17  -  Apr.  18,  '18. 
Frank  F.  Reed,  Apr.  18,  '18- July  23,  '18. 
Richard   M.   KimbaU,   July  23,    '18 -Dec.    19,   '18. 
Erwin  Keller,  Dec.  19,  '18 -Feb.,  '19. 
Arthur  W.  Vickers,  Feb.,  '19  - 

Agersea  578209  Peter  E.    Wag.     Haldagar,  Denmark. 
Aitken  578210  Robert  J.     Cpl.  65  Morris  St.,  East  Boston,  Mass. 
Alsen  578211  Nils.     Pvt  1st  CI.     30  Swan  Place,  Arlington,  Mass. 
Anderson  578212  Arthur  E.     Pvt.  1075  Adams  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Andre  582943  William  J.     Cpl.     521  Eighty-eighth  St.,  Brooklyn, 
New  York: 
July.    Died  (accidentally  shot  himself  Gesnes,  Oct.  29)   Chatel 
Guyon  Nov.  17. 
Ashcroft  578213  Wilbur  G.    Pvt  1st  CI.     10  Bearse  Ave.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 
Bach  1778566  Joshua  L.    Sgt.  2214  Wharton  St.,  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. 
June. 
Barde  139197  Lipman  B.    Pvt. 

May  15.  Casual  from  147th  F.  Arty.  June. 

Barry  578214  James  W.    Pvt. 
Bates  578215  Thomas  D.    Pvt  1st  CI.     14  Merrill  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Belanger  578216  Leon.    Pvt.    64  West  Hollis  St.,  Nashua,  New 

Hampshire. 
Bell  578217  Edward  H.     Pvt.     61  Washington  St.,  Dedham,  Mass. 
Berman   576842   Samuel.     Pvt.    92   Weir   St.,  Taunton,    Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C.     Died  Brest  Jan.  8. 
Berry  578218  John  D.     Pvt.     27  Johnson  St.,   Lynn,   Mass. 
Binns  578219  Edward  L.     Cpl.    207  Washington  Ave.,  McGehee, 
Arkansas. 
Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Black  578220  Joseph  A.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Bolster  578222  Charles  H.    Wag. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 


324  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Bolton  578221  Joseph  W.     Wag.  34  High  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Bond  578223  Henry  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     28  Hawthorne  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Borden  578224  Charles  W.     Supply  Sgt.     57  Oak  St.,  Fall  River, 

Mass. 
Boudrot  578225  William  L.     Cpl.     27  Carruth  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Bowen  578226  George  G.     Cook.     6  Herman  St.,  Roxbury  Mass. 
Brabrook  594530  Leonard  M.     Pvt.     79  Church  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Liverpool  Apr.  2.     Returned. 
Brayton  139204  Roy  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     5638  Ayala  St.,  Oakland, 

California. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Brown  578227  Arthur  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     47  Waterhouse  St.,  West 

Somerville,  Mass. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5  Jan. 
Brown  578229  Charles  R.     Pvt.     47  Waterhouse  St.,  West  Somer- 
ville, Mass. 
Burt  578228  Paul  C.     Pvt.     21  Chard  St.,  East  Weymouth,  Mass. 
Caffrey  627309  James  A.     Sgt.     Greenwood  Ave.,  Far  Rockaway, 

New  York. 
July. 
Cairnie  578233  Harold.     Cook.     202  L  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 
Callahan  578234  WilUam  H.     Pvt   1st  CI.     783  Atwells  Ave., 

Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Cameron  578230  Alexander   M.     Pvt   1st   CI.     51   Linden   St., 

Dorchester,  Mass. 
Carey  578231  Joseph  H.     Wag.     393  Adams  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Carroll  578232  William  R.     Pvt.     18  Washington  Ave.,  Chelsea, 

Mass. 
Casey  581072  William  E.     Pvt.     22  Robinson  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Caulfield  578235  Fred  V.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  prison  camp  July. 
Cawley  578236  John  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Chisholm  578237  John  G.     Pvt.     25  Clinton  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 
Churchill  578238  William  F.     Mess  Sgt.     276  Pleasant  St.,  East 

Bridgewater,  Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  B  325 

Clancy  578239  John  F.     Cpl. 

(First   casualty  in  55th.)     Killed   Arcis   le  Ponsart  Aug.    14. 
Claus  578241  Willam  C.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Clark  578240  Joseph  W.     Cpl.     Sumner  St.,   Needham,   Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Coleman  577125  William  C.     Pvt.     1939  Division  St.,  Evansville, 
Indiana. 

June.     Transferred    from    Bat.    A.     Went    to    San    Francisco 

with  Regiment. 
Collier  578242  Harold  S.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Conkey  578243  Homer  G.     Wag.     160  Congress  St.,  Cohoes,  New 

York. 
Cook  578244  Robert  P.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Liverpool  May  16.     (Apr.  2.) 
Cronin  578245  John  F.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  1. 
Crowe  578246  Charles  F.     Pvt.     11 A  Cottage  Ave.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
CuUen  578247  George.     Wag. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Cummings  578248  Herbert  E.    Bug. 

Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
DeMarco  2308843  Charles.     Pvt.     115  East  15th  St.,  Paterson, 
New  Jersey. 

May. 
Deschamps  578249  Theodore  H.     Pvt.     20  CHnton  St.,  Framing- 
ham,  Mass. 
Dizel  578250  Joseph  T.     Pvt.     232  Geneva  Ave.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Dropped   sick   June   24.     Returned.     Wounded   Sept.    2.     To 

U.  S.  as  casual. 
Dill   581188  Boge    T.     Sgt.     7801  Virginia    Ave.,      St.     Louis, 
Missouri. 

Nov.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Doane  578251  George  H.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Doherty  578252  George  F.     Mech.     177  Harvard  St.,  Brockton, 

Mass. 
Doherty  580092  Stephen  J.     Pvt.     2  Robey  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Nov. 


326  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Donnelly  578253  Frank  A.    Wag.    56  Bower  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Dorgan  578254  William  J.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Doyle  578255  Henry  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.    29  Foote  St.,  Fall  River, 

Mass. 
Driscoll  578256  James  F.     Pvt.    289  Reedsdale  Road,  Milton, 

Mass. 
Droke  577146  David  R.    Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  A.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  12. 
Durling  578258  Hubert  R.     Pvt  1st  CI.     5  Lee  Terrace,  Arlington, 

Mass. 
Dykens  578257  Elmer  A.    Pvt.    53  Madison  Ave.,  North  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 
Eldredge   578259  Frank  G.    Pvt.    88  Abbott  St.,   Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Ellefsen  578260  Charles.     Mech. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  June. 
Elliott  578261  Maurice  R.     Mech. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  June. 
Enos  578262  Alfred  E.     Pvt.     118  Otis  St.,  East  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Ericson  578263  Broor  E.     Pvt.     67  Bearse  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Fales  578264  Franklin  A.     Pvt.     189  Highland  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Fisher  578265  James.    Pvt  1st  CL     11  Pinckney  St.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Fitzgerald  578266  John  F.    Pvt.    22  Hyde  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  13.     Returned. 
Fletcher   578267  Alexander  D.    Pvt.    82   Granite   Place,   East 

Milton,  Mass. 
Fletcher  578269  Francis  H.    Wag.    51  Brynner  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Foley  578268  Coleman  F.    Pvt.    44  Bellevue  St.,  Dorchester, 
Mass. 
Subsequently  enlisted  in  U.  S.  Navy. 
Foote  578270  Charles  H.    Pvt.     15  South  Market  St.,  Boston, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Nov.  7. 
Foye  578271  Frank.     Pvt  1st  CI.     66  Alban  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Francen  3072289  Fred  A.    Pvt.     1123  Fillmore  St.,  MinneapoUs, 
Minnesota. 
Nov. 


Roster— Bat.  B  327 

Fraser  578272  Randall  J.    Sgt.     2  Bromley  Park,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

French  576903  Ralph  W.    Pvt.     322  Sixty-first  St.,  Brooklyn,  New 

York. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.    C.   55th   Arty.     Went   to   San 

Francisco  with  Regiment. 

Furbish  578273  Chester  A.     Pvt.     154  Woodside  Ave.,  Winthrop, 

Mass. 
Gallagher  578274  Charles  T.     Mech. 
Dropped  sick  July  23.     Returned.     Again  Oct.  22.     Returned 
.to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Gallagher  578276  Walter  T.     Pvt.     285  Walnut  Ave.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Gannon  578275  Frank  J.     Wag.     152  Thornton  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Gatchell  578277  Charles  E.    Pvt.    3  Prescott  St.,  East  Boston, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Sept.  2.     Returned. 
Geary  578278  Edward  S.     Pvt.     1  Shawmut  Place,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Gilbert    578279    Jerome    A.     Pvt.     1289    Commonwealth    Ave., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Gilbert  578281  Marcellus  N.    Pvt  1st  CI.    615  Broadway,  Everett, 

Mass. 
Goldberger  578282  David.     Cpl.     74  Heard  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Golden  578280  Martin  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     10  Glendale  St.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 
Goode  578283  Edward  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     26  Cobden  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Gorman  578284  Thomas  J.    Wag. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  June. 
Grant  578285  Frank  E.     Cpl.     24  Peverell  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Grant   578287   Joseph   P.     Pvt    1st    CI.     Irasburg,    Vermont. 
Grant  578289  Oliver  C.     Pvt.     Houlton,  Maine. 
Greeley  578286  Frank  C.     Pvt.     197  Milton  St.,  Readville,  Mass. 
Green  578288  Arthur  W.     Pvt.     64  Bonair  St.,  Somerville,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Griffin  1683472  Clarence  N.     Pvt.     1200  Commonwealth  Ave., 
Allston,  Mass. 
Aug. 
Guertin  578290  Joseph  N.    Wag. 
Transferred  to  Tractor  School  June. 


328  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Hall  578291  Samuel  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     94  Bayswater  St.,  Orient 
Heights,  East  Boston,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Hanley  578292  Edward  A.     Wag. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  June. 
Hannay  578293  William  J.    Sgt.    27  Rockingham  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
Hardy   578294   Arthur.     Pvt.     252   Blackstone   St.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Harmon  578295  Willard  R.  Pvt.  Milltown,  N.  B.,  Canada. 
Harrigan  578296  John  E.  Cpl.  10  Oak  Island  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 
Haun  578297  Elmer  H.  Pvt.  1  Noanet  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Hayden  578298  Leland.  Pvt.  267  North  Ave.,  North  Abington, 
Mass. 

Transferred  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Heaman  578299  Walter  H.     Pvt.     211  Maverick  St.,  East  Boston, 
Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Heyd  578300  William  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     8  Spruce  St.,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Hicks  578301  Arthur  E.     Cpl.     221  Norwell  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Hicks  578303  Raymond  F.     Bug.     221  Norwell  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Higgins  578302  Theophilus.     Sgt. 

Dropped  wounded  Gesnes  Oct.  29. 
Hildebrand  578305  Eric.     Pvt.     11  Meyer  St.,  Roslindale,  Mass. 
Hillier  578304  William  H.     Pvt.     14  Waverly  St.,  Brighton,  Mass. 
Hodson  578306  Robert.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Hofling  578307  Adam  O.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Hoit  578308  Earle  W.     Pvt.     178  Bowdoin  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Horton  578309  Charles  H.     Pvt.     3  Hayden  Road,  CUftondale, 

Mass. 
Howe  582925  Allie  R.     Cpl.     218  Danford  St.,  Portland,  Maine. 

July.     Left  at  Ft.  Wright  Feb. 
Hughes  578310  George  H.     Wag.     42  Blakeville  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Hunt  578311  Arthur  A.     Sgt.     77  Summer  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Hurley  578312  Edward  J.     Wag. 

Transferred  to  Tractor  School  June. 


Roster— Bat  B  329 

Hynes  578313  Joseph  P.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  18. 
Inman  578314  James  P.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Jackman  578315  Frank.     Cpl.     Alick  St.,   Oak  Island,   Revere, 

Mass. 
Jennings  578316  Richard  O.     Wag.     54  Teel  St.,  Arlington,  Mass. 
Jerome  578317  Wendlin  J.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  1. 
Jobert  578318  Charles  A.     Cpl.     112  Myrtle  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Jones    576946   Frank   D.     Pvt.     13    Cedar    St.,    Lowell,    Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C. 
Jones  261089  Harry.     Cpl.     Wilhelmina,  Missouri. 

Oct.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C.     Dropped  injured.     Returned 

to  Bat. 
Kaye  578319  Walter  H.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Keefe    578320   James   A.     Pvt.     Spring   St.,    Millis,    Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Keefe  578322  John  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     86  Harrishoff  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Keefe    578324   Paul   J.     Cpl.     643    Broadway,    Chelsea,    Mass. 
Keenan  578321  Francis  R.     Pvt  1st  CI.     300  Brighton  St.,  Bel- 
mont, Mass. 
Kelly  578323  Charles  J.,  Jr.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  A  July. 
Kelly  578325  William  B.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Knapp  578326  Harold  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.     24  John  A.  Andrews  St., 
Jamaica  Plain,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  10.     Returned. 
Knight  578327  John  C.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Kozaniecki  576954  John.     Pvt.     Staropol,  Russia. 

Aug.     Transferred   from   Bat.    C,    55th   Arty.     Went   to   San 

Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Kramer  578329  William.     Pvt.     17  Lark  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 
Krigel  578328  Frank  J.     Pvt.     55  Joy  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Died  Brest  Jan.  13,  '19. 
LaCroix   578332  Louis.     Wag.     4   Main  St.,    MiUis,    Mass. 


330  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Lannery  578331  Francis  I.    Cook.     137  Belgrade  Ave.,  Roslin- 
dale,  Mass. 

Latimer  2308891  Elwood.     Wag.     532  North  Irving  Ave.,  Scran- 
ton,  Pennsylvania. 
May. 

LeBlanc  578333  Paul  E.    Pvt.    760  Broadway,  Chelsea,  Mass. 

Lehan  578334  John  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.    20  Mansur  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 

Leman  578335  Harris  C.    Pvt  1st  CI.     112  Putnam  St.,  East 
Boston,  Mass. 

Lennon  578336  Edmund  S.    Pvt.    7  Mayfield  St.,  Dorchester, 
Mass. 

Lewis  472369  Fred.     Cpl. 

Nov.     Transferred  to  Bat.  D  Dec. 

Lindequist  578338  Nils  E.    Cpl. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16.     Returned  to 
Bat.  A. 

Linville    139279  Lloyd.    Pvt.    1st   CI.    Woodburn,   Oregon. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 

Litchfield  578339  Ira  F.     Pvt.     515  Geneva  Ave.,   Dorchester, 
Mass. 

Litton  578340  Frederick  D.    Pvt. 

Lord  578341  Clarence  B.    Pvt.    23  Bellevue  St.,  Medford  Hill- 
side, Mass. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 

Mack  578343  George  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Elmore,  Vermont. 

Mackman  578344  Cecil.    Pvt.    58  Alpine  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Dropped  sick  June  27.     Returned. 

Magown  578345  John  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     16  Ash  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 

Mahoney  578347  Charles  L.    Sgt.    4  Brinsley  St.,  Dorchester, 
Mass. 

Mahoney  578349  Edward  J.    Cook.    293  Market  St.,  Brighton, 
Mass. 

Mahoney  578351  George  L.    Pvt  1st  CI.    27  Harvard  St.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 

Mahoney  578353  John  J.    Pvt.    38  Sharon  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Malone  578346  Frank  J.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dec. 

Manimon  578348  William  A.    Pvt.     1383  Washington  St.,  Nor- 
wood, Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  B  331 

Margeson  578352  Charles  M.    Pvt  1st  CI. 
Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 

Margeson  578354  Gerald  U.     Pvt  1st  CI.     233  Poplar  St.,  Roslin- 
dale,  Mass. 

Man  578350  John  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     29  Mascot  St.,  Dorchester, 
Mass. 

Marshall  578355  Frederick  W.    Wag.    59  Pleasant  St.,  Milton, 
Mass. 

Martin  578356  Irving.     Pvt.     90  Butler  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Masse  578357  Joseph  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.    45  Greenbrier  St.,  Dorches- 
ter, Mass. 

Massey  578359  Arthur.     Mech. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 

Massey  578361  Frank  A.,  Jr.    Sgt.    54  Adams  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 

Matifes  578358  Alfred  H.  V.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Havre  Apr.  9.     Returned.    Dropped  sick  Aug.  19. 

Mawn  578362  Peter.     Pvt.     22  Leyfield  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Maylor  578360  William.     Pvt  1st  CI.     178  Lexington  St.,  East 
Boston,  Mass. 
Mail  Orderly.     Transferred  to  HQ.   Base  Sect.   No.   5,   Jan. 

McEhroy  578363  William  C.     Cpl.    37  Hunt  St.,  Newton,  Mass. 
Wounded  Montfaucon  Oct.  9. 

McGrath  578364  Leo  T.     Pvt.     82  May  wood  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

McGreenery    578365   Harold   F.    Wag.     107  Lake   View  Ave., 
Cambridge,  Mass. 

McGuire   2308905   Patrick.     Pvt.    340   Summer   St.,   Paterson, 
New  Jersey. 
May. 

Mcintosh  578367  William  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     6  Elwood  St.,  Charles- 
town,  Mass. 

McNeil   578368  Edmund  L.    Pvt.    7   Jerome  St.,   Dorchester, 
Mass. 

McQueeney  578369  James  D.     Pvt.    29  School  St.,  Brookline, 
Mass. 

MacQueeny  578371  Patrick  T.     1st  Sgt.    29  School  St.,  Brook- 
line,  Mass. 

Meikle   578370   Gordon.    Pvt.     17   Trowbridge   St.,   Arlington, 
Mass. 

Metzger  578372  Theodore.    Pvt.    Garden  St.,  Needham,  Mass. 


332  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Miller  578373  George  E.     Pvt.     66  Walnut  St.,  Arlington,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 
Miller  578376  John  W.     Pvt.     31  Varnum  St.,  Arlington,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  4.     Returned. 
Milliken  578375  Frederick  J.     Cpl. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Mills  578374  Ralph  C.     Pvt.     17  Middle  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 
Montgomery  578377  Bradford  R.     Pvt   1st  CI.     Claflin  Road, 

Randolph,  Mass. 
Montgomery  578379  Hugh.     Pvt.     Chaffin  Road,  Randolph,  Mass. 

In  Ordnance  Dept.  July  and  Aug. 
Moore  578630  Arthur  J.     Pvt.     8  Cathedral  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Morgan  578378  Edward  J.     Cpl.     170  Spruce  St.,  Watertown, 

Mass. 
Munroe  578380  Thomas  F.     Pvt.     34  New  York  St.,  Dover,  New 

Hampshire. 
Murphy  578381  James  F.,  Jr.     Pvt.    48  Chestnut  Ave.,  Jamaica 

Plain,  Mass. 
Murphy  578383  Thomas.    Pvt  1st  CI.    31  Chelsea  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Murphy  578386  William  J.     Pvt.     31  Bainbridge  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Murray  578382  Joseph  A.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  16. 
Nell  578384  Walter  A.     Wag. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
NichoUs  578385  John  V.     Pvt.     26  Varnum  St.,  Arlington,  Mass. 
Nieport  581114  Harry  M.     Cpl.     R.  F.  D.  No.  4,  New  Florence, 
Pennsylvania. 
July.     Left  at  Ft.  Wright  Feb.  '19. 
Norton   578387   William   E.     Pvt.     2   Virginia   St.,    Dorchester, 

Mass. 
O'Brien  578388  William  F.     Sgt.    4  Sawyer  Ave.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
O'Neill  578389  Eugene.     Pvt.     65  Fulton  St.,  Peabody,  Mass. 
Parr  578390  William  A.     Sgt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Parsons  578391  Walter  H.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 


Roster— Bat.  B  333 

Pearson  578392  Walter  S.     Pvt.     106  Orchard  St.,  West  Somer- 

ville,  Mass. 
Peck   2308933   Perry   P.     Wag.     West   Bloomfield,    New   York. 

May. 
Peters  578393  William  T.     Pvt  1st  CI. 
Dropped  sick  Ft.  Andrews  May  16. 
Peterson  578394  Harold  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     331  Poplar  St.,  Roslin- 

dale,  Mass. 
Portas  578395  Emery.     Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Pratt  578396  Edward  B.     Cpl. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Pratt  578398  Frank  E.     Pvt.     220  Gold  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 
Care  of  Miss  May  A.  Lynch. 
Dropped  sick  Nov.  5. 
Price  578397  Micheau  S.     Pvt  1st  CI.     191  Huntington  Ave., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Purdy  578399  Nelson  R.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  Tractor  School  June. 
Rains  577018  Barney  J.     Pvt.     8  Ferndale  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C. 
Rao   578400  Frank.     Cpl.     28   Appian  St.,   Providence,   Rhode 

Island. 
Regan  578401  John  J.     Pvt.     24  Fernwood  Ave.,  Bradford,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  13.     Returned. 
Reilly  578402  Frank.     Pvt.     Haliburton.  Lot  7,  P.  E.  I.,  Canada. 
Rennie  578403  John  W.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  June. 
Reynolds  578404  Samuel  E.     Mess  Sgt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Rhodes  578408  Willard  G.     Sgt.    3  Pleasant  View  St.,  Stafford, 

Connecticut. 
Riccitelli  578405  William  R.     Pvt.     Oak  St.,  Lakewood,  Rhode 

Island. 
Riddle  578406  Donald  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.     40  Dracut  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
RUey  578407  John  D.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Roache  578409  Willard  D.     Pvt.     Lavender  St.,  Millis,  Mass, 
Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 


334  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Robinson  578410  Thomas  W.    Cpl. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Rogers  578457  Charles  W.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Ross  578412  Donald  A.     Cpl.     50  Vale  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Rowean  578413  Albert  M.    Cpl.    351  Bowdoin  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Runstrom  578414  Verner  A.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Meriitt  May  16. 
Sacco  578415  Joseph.    Pvt.     1532  Dorchester  Ave.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Sassi    578416    Michael.    Pvt.    96    Yorkshu-e    St.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Shaw  578417  Clarence  B.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Shires  139331  Roy  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Springbrook,  Oregon. 

May  10.    Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Shute  581024  Stanley  J.    Pvt.    37  Saxton  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Simonds  578418  Henry  F.    Pvt.    260  Clarendon  St.,   Boston, 

Mass. 
Sloan  578419  Joseph  W.    Sgt.    29  Shafter  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  C.  Sept. 
Smith  578420  Frank  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Grand  Pass  Way,  Wakefield, 

Mass. 
Soper  578422  James  E.    Pvt  1st  CI.    339  Spruce  St.,  Chelsea, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Nov.  5. 
Soukup  139884  Clarence  W.    Wag.    Scotland,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Souther  578421  Timothy  B.    Wag.     Vega  Alta,  Porto  Rico. 
Spencer  578423  Robert  F.     Cpl.     North  Scituate,  Rhode  Island. 
Stelzer  578424  George  A.     Pvt.     22  Greenough  Ave.,  Jamaica 

Plain,  Mass. 
Stewart  578425  Elwood  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.    81  Lyndale  St.,  Spring- 
field, Mass. 
Stewart  578427  Ralph  L.    Sgt.    5  Sunnyside  Ave.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Stone  578426  Edgar  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.     190  Hillside  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  B  335 

Stuart  578428  Vincent  E.    Pvt. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Stusenski    577052   Victor.     Pvt.     7    Chelmsford   St.,    Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Aug.    Transferred  from  Bat.  C. 
Sullivan  578431  David  J.     Pvt.     Kenmare,  Co.  Kerry,  Ireland. 
SulUvan  578429  Edward  F.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  11. 
Sullivan  578433  Francis.     Wag.     67  Wyman  St.,  Brockton,  Mass. 
Sullivan  578435  William  H.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  8. 
Sweeney  578430  Edwin  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     1116  Hyde  Park  Ave., 

Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
Tenney  578432  Roger  C.     Cpl.     Kendall  Green,  Mass. 
Tripp  578437  Howard  E.    Wag.    P.  O.  Box  193,  Anthony,  Rhode 

Island. 
Tucker    578434   Albert    W.    Cpl.    7    Reynolds   Ave.,    Chelsea, 

Mass. 
Tudge  578436  John  W.    Pvt.     15  Washington  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Vennik  578438  Arie.     Pvt.     39  Sharon  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Viscounte  578439  WiUiam  A.    Pvt  1st  CI.    46  Howard  St.,  Wal- 

tham,  Mass. 
Walker  578440  Grover  C.    Cook. 

Dropped  quarantined  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Watson  Hoyt.    Pvt.    Latta,  South  Carolina. 

Aug.  26.     Enlisted  from  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretaryship.     Detailed 

to  Officer's  T.  S. 
Wells    578441    Leroy.    Pvt.    North    Scituate,    Rhode    Island. 
Wheelock  578449  Kenneth  H.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  June. 
White  578450  Edward  A.     Wag. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 
White  577487  Harry  D.     Pvt.     Deerfield,  Kansas. 

Nov.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
White   578452   Raymond   W.    Pvt   1st   CI.    29   Summit   Ave., 

Norwood,  Mass. 
Whitmire  471388  John.    Pvt.    Egypt,  Oklahoma. 

Nov. 


336  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Whittle  578451  Edward.    Cpl.    1275  Plymouth  Ave.,  FaU  River, 

Mass. 
WilUams  578442  Arthur.     Pvt.     29  Cobb  St.,  East  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Williams  578444  Edward  N.     Mech.     11  Morrison  Place,  West 

Somerville,  Mass. 
Williams  578446  Herman  W.     Mech.    37  John  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Williams  578448  William.     Sgt.     36  Harrison  St.,  Quincy,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  25.     Returned. 
Williamson  578443  Robert  B.     Pvt.     17  Earl  St.,   Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Left  sick  Ft.  Andrews.     Rejoined  Bat.  Oct. 
Wilson  578445  Samuel  G.     Bug.     10  Cleveland  St.,   Houlton, 

Maine. 
Wilson  580071  Thomas  E.     Mech. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  E.     Dropped  injured  Sept. 
Wittrup  578447  Andrew  J.     Pvt.     22  Lincoln  St.,  Norwood,  Mass. 
Wood  578453  Albert  G.     Wag.     2  Fremont  Place,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Wood  578455  Kenneth  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     28  Quincy  St.,  Medford 

Hillside,  Mass. 
Wright  578454  WilUam  T.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  June  27.     Returned.     Again  Oct.  18. 
Wyer  578456  George  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     19  Crosby  St.,  Augusta, 

Maine. 
York  139373  Jesse  C.     Cpl.     Ashwood,  Oregon. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 


COMMANDING  OFFICERS,  2D  BATTALION 

James  S.  Dusenbury,  Dec.  4  -  Dec.  30,  '17. 
Harry  A.  Skinner,  Dec.  30,  '17  -  Apr.  18,  '18. 
Gary  R.  Wilson,  Apr.  18  -  Sept.  28,  '18. 
Marshall  S.  Holbrook,  Sept.  28  -  Oct.  5,  '18. 
Walter  B.  Smith,  Oct.  8,  '18  -  Feb.,  '19. 

Commanding  Officers,  Bat.  C 

Frank  A.  D.  BuUard,  Dec.  15,  '17  -  Feb.  1,  '18. 

Cary  R.  Wilson,  Feb.  1,  '18  -  May  23,  '18. 

Herbert  M.  Holton,  May  23,  '18  -  July,  10,  '18;  Aug.,  '18  -  Aug. 
31,  '18. 

Carl  W.  Bettcher,  July  10,  '18 -Aug.,  '18;  Aug.  31,  '18 -Oct. 
22,  '18. 

Joseph  W.  McKenna,  Oct.  22,  '18 -Nov.  11,  '18. 

Banks  G.  Moreland,  Nov.  11,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18. 

Joe  B.  Hutchinson,  Dec.  19,  '18-  Feb.,  '19. 

Abbott  576833  Clyde.  Pvt.  11  Orleander  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Abbott  576836  Walter  E.  Pvt.  169  George  St.,  Medford,  Mass. 
Aldridge  576835  Walter  T.  Pvt.  258  Newbury  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Allen  576837  Norman  E.  Pvt.  133  West  116  St.,  New^York  City. 
Babbitt  576838  Everett  E.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  14. 
Baggs  576839  William  S.     Cpl.     83  Beacon  St.,  Somerville,  Mass. 
Baptist  576840  John  S.     Pvt  1st  CI.     35  Purchase  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Barker  576841  Robert  J.     Sgt.     48  Victoria  St.,  West  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Barty  139205  Rizien.     Pvt.     Vacaville,  California. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Beck  Henry  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Berman  576842  Samuel.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B,  55th  Arty.,  Aug. 
Beswick  576843  Leonard  A.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  27. 
22 


338  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Bickf ord  581037  Charles.    Pvt.    75  Winthrop  St.,  Brockton,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Bishop  259822  Harry  M.    Wag.     AUenville,  Missouri. 

May.     Dropped  sick  Aug.  5.     Returned. 
Blossom  576844  Wilfred  J.     Pvt.     263  Water  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Bohnwagner  576845  William  F.     Pvt.    40  Kendall  St.,  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  25.     Returned.     Again  Aug.  18.     Returned. 
Brady  576846  John  S.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Brennan  576847  Daniel  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.     North  Stoughton,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16  (in  Bat.  B,  56th  Arty.). 
Bromberg  576848  Justin  L.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  55th  Arty.,  Aug. 
Bronston  576849  Mark.     Sgt.    49  Dedham  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  7.     Returned. 
Brozowski  576850  Eugene.    Cpl.    Westport,  New  York.    Care  of 

Miss  EUzabeth  M.  Fleury. 
Burris  576851  Fred  W.     Pvt.     Butler  Farm,  Springfield,  IlUnois. 
Butler  576852  Harry  E.    Pvt  1st  CI. 
Cantino  576853  Antonio.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  Sept. 
Carney  576854  Thomas  M.    Pvt  1st  CL 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Caron  576855  Delvida.     Pvt  1st  CI.     2  River  St.,  Amesbury,  Mass. 
Casey  576856  Henry  J.   Pvt  1st  CI.    186  High  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Cheney  576857  Alton  W.     Cpl.     B.  &  A.  Station,  Springfield,  Mass. 
Childs  576858  Leo  G.     Mech.     Cotuit,  Mass. 
Clark  576859  James  A.    Cpl. 

Dropped  sick  July  9. 
Clevenger  576860  Norman  E.     Mech.    R.  F.  D.  No.  7,  Fairfield, 

Ilhnois. 
Cohan  576861  Michael.    Bug. 

Run  over  by  gun.     Dropped  injured  Aug.  16. 
Cohen    270002    Samuel.    Pvt.     145    Homestead    St.,    Roxbury, 
Mass. 

May.  Jan. 

CoUeran  576862  William  J.     Pvt.    33  Shirley  St.,  Worcester,  Mass. 
Collier  576863  Thomas  W.    Pvt  1st  CI.    48  Hood  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 


Roster-— Bat.  C  339 

CoUins  576864  John  J.     Pvt.     677  Washington  St.,  Brookline, 
Mass. 
Sick  Brest  Jan. 
ConoUy  576865  Homer  P.     Pvt.     53  Charlotte  St.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
In  Ordnance  Dept.  July.     In  Bat.  D  during  Aug.  and  Sept. 
Costey  576866  Neil  C.     Pvt.     CoUegeville,  Nova  Scotia,  Canada. 

Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan.  9. 
Crane  576867  Joseph  J.     Pvt.     Minlo  Village,  Co.  Galway,  Ire- 
land. 
Cranitch  576868  George  L.    Wag.    37  West  Eagle  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Crowell  576869  Percy  E.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Oct. 
Cunningham  576870  John  W.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Cushing  576871  Harry  E.     Pvt.     1629  West  Adams  St.,  Chicago, 
Illinois. 
Dropped  sick  July  7.     Returned. 
Dagle    576872    Henry    L.     Wag.     Rhame,    North    Dakota. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Dagenais  576873  Ernest  J.     Pvt.     82  Park  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 
Dalton  139233  Robert  C.     Pvt. 

May   10.     Transferred  from   147th  F.   Arty.     Transferred  to 
Supply  Co.,  55th  Arty.,  June. 
D'Ambra    576874  Frank.     Pvt.     3    Newton   Place,   Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Davis  576875  Earl.     Pvt.     14  Howard  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Davis  139784  Nathan  G.    Pvt. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty.  Oct. 

Day  576876  George  J.     Cpl.     8  Harvard  Terrace,  AUston,  Mass. 
Deer  576877  Arthur.     Pvt.     Clarks  Hill,  Indiana. 
Demarteau  576878  Leo  A.    Pvt.     70  Byers  St.,  Springfield,  Mass. 
Wounded  at  Arcis  le  Ponsart  Sept.  1 — first  wound  in  2d  Batl. 
Demitry   576879   Emilio.    Bug.     208   East   Chestnut   St.,    East 

Rochester,  New  York. 
Dewire  576880  Thomas  W.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Washington  St.,  Somer- 
ville,  Mass. 


340  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Left  sick  at  Ft.  Banks  April.     Rejoined  Bat.  in  Oct. 
Dolan  576881  Thomas  P.     Pvt.     22  Acorn  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  10. 
Dole  576882  George  A.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Donjeux  Sept.  18. 
Donlon  576883  John  T.     Pvt.     84  Summer  St.,  North  Dighton, 

Mass. 
Doyle  576885  Edward  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
DriscoU  576886  Daniel  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     6  Proctor  St.,  Peabody, 

Mass. 
Dufify  576887  Robert  T.     Sgt.     Care  of  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Duhanel  576888  Napoleon  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     119  Hamilton  St., 

Southbridge,  Mass. 
Duncan  576889  Hiram  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Piedmont,  South  Carolina. 
Commended  in  regimental  orders   Sept.    14.     Transferred  to 
HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Dunne  576895  John  S.     Wag.    423  Massachusetts  Ave.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Durling  576891  Kenneth  R.     Pvt.     Westminster,  Mass. 
Dye  576892  William  B.     Wag.    47  Milford  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Estes  576893  Harry  M.     Pvt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Wattsburge,  Penn- 
sylvania. 
Injured  by  tractor  Aug.  16.     Returned  to  Bat. 
Farrell  139799  Leo  L.     Pvt. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty.  June. 

Farnast  576894  Max.     Sgt.     105  Mount  Fort  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Farrar  576896  Clarence  E.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Farrington  576897  Fred  A.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Donjeux,  Dec.  10. — Tours. 
Folco  576898  Samuel.     Pvt.     62  Bridge  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 
Island. 
Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Fortier  576899  Raymond  J.     Pvt.     106  Puritan  Ave.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Wounded  Romagne  Oct.  27.     Died  Nouart  Oct.  28. 
Fountain   576900   Charles   E.     Pvt.     703^^   Main   St.,   Taunton, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  C  341 

Franchi  576901  Francesco.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Toscani,  Italy. 

Francis  578490  Orswell.     Pvt.     18  Mason  St.,  Taunton,   Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Frederick  576902  Charles  F.     Cpl. 
French  576903  Ralph  W.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B.,  55th  Arty.,  Aug. 
Frost  576904  Albert  N.     Sgt.     90  Myrtle  Ave.,  Fitchburg,  Mass. 
Fullerton  576905  Raymond  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     330  Pleasant  St., 

Milton,  Mass. 
Gaffney   576906  James  J.     Wag.     40   Woburn   St.,    Lexington, 

Mass. 
Gelsemina  576907  Rocco.     Pvt.     Teramo  Halfy,  Tarre  di  Passri, 

Italy. 
Glassman  576908  Abraham  A.     Pvt.     157  High  St.,   Holyoke, 

Mass. 
Gordon  576909  Joseph  M.     Pvt  1st  CI.     321  Meridian  St.,  East 
Boston,  Mass. 

Mail  Orderly.     Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.   No.   5,  Jan. 
Graham  576910  Jesse  O.     Sgt.     Elkville,  Illinois. 
Gray  576911  Thomas  T.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Brimfield,  Mass. 
Gregory  576912  Willie  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Andersonville,  Virginia. 
Grenon  576913  Edward.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Oct. 
Grogan  576914  Leo  S.     Cook.     Saint  James,  Minnesota. 
Guglielmo  576915  Americo.     Pvt.     1323  Westminster  St.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Guillou  580488  Louis.     Pvt. 

Dec. 
Gurdy  576916  Elbert  O.     Pvt.     88  Nesmith  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  1.     Returned.     Again  Brest  Jan.     Returned 

to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Guyette  576917  Fred  C.     Cpl.     94  ElUott  St.,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Died  H.  M.  S.  '^Cretic"  Jan.  17. 
Halbrunner  576918  David  P.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Hall  576919  Joseph.     Pvt.     Methuen,  Mass. 
Hagerty  2453663  John  J.     Pvt.     10  Tyler  St.,  Somerville,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Hamblin  576920  Clyde.     Pvt  1st  CI.     R.  F.  D.  No.  4,  St.  Albans, 
Vermont. 


342  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Hanley  576921  John  A.     Pvt.     11  Wadsworth  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Hanson  576922  Christian  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Fizn,  Denmark. 
Harrington  576923  Cornelius  M.    Wag.     Police  Station  4,   La 

Grange  St.,  Boston,  Mass.     Care  of  Mr.  Dennis  Harrington. 
Harrington  139264  WilUam  J.     Pvt.     325  Sixty-third  St.,  Oakland, 
California. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Haselden  576924  Rolin  V.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Hathaway  576925  Creed  W.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  55th  Arty.,  Aug. 
Hawkesworth  576926  Willis  L.     Pvt.     6  Pritchard  Ave.,  Somer- 

ville,  Mass. 
Hayes  576927  James  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     15  Robinson  St.,  Lynn, 

Mass. 
Hayes  576930  Michael  H.     Cpl.     95  Howard  St.,   Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Heitmeier  576928  Lawrence  G.    Pvt. 

Sentenced  to  prison  July  25. 
Henderson  576929  David.    Pvt. 

Transferred    to   Trench   Mortar  School    July.    Dropped    sick 

Apr.  10.     Returned. 
Henderson  576932  George  L.    Pvt  1st  CI.    712  Forham  St., 

Lowell,  Mass. 
Hill  576931  Allen  K.     Cpl.     R.  F.  D.,  Leroy,  lUinois. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
HoflPenberg  576933  Louis  B.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Royat  July  10. 
Hoffman  576934  Irving  L.     Bug.     125  Leverett  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Holland  580122  John  F.     Pvt. 

Nov.     Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Holloman  576935  James  F.     Cpl.     Hopkinsville,  Kentucky. 
Hopkins  576936  Clyde  C.     Sgt.     Hopkinton,  Iowa. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  24.     Returned. 
Hommg  576937  Charles  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.    551  Linden  St.,  Reading, 

Pennsylvania. 
Hoxie  576939  Albert  B.     Pvt.     14  Monston  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Hoyle  576940  James.     Pvt  1st  CI.     22  Linton  St.,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Army  Arty.,   1st  Army,  Dec.   10. 


Roster— Bat.  C  343 

Hubbard  579400  Edward  A.     Cpl.     40  Beals  St.,  Brookline,  Mass. 

Oct.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F. 
Hudson  576941  WiUiam  E.     Sgt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  5,  Murfreesboro, 

Tennessee. 
Hudson  576944  William  T.     Pvt.     2901  Masher  St.,  Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania. 
Hughes  576942  William.     Pvt.     Castlecreevin,  Drumgreffen,  Co. 

Gal  way,  Ireland. 
Hutton  576943  Carl  S.     Mech.     Park,  York  Co.,  Pennsylvania. 
Ide  139814  Joseph  L.     Pvt.     Scotland,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Jason  139272  Joe.     Wag.     Centerville,  CaHfornia. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Jennings  576945  George  E.     Sgt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.,  July. 
Jones  576946  Frank  D.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  Bat.  B  Aug. 
Jones  261089  Harry.     Cpl.    July. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B  Aug. 
Jones  576950  Rep  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.     323  Salem  St.,  Sumter,  South 

Carolina. 
Katz  576947  Carl.     Pvt. 
Dropped  sick  Oct.  26. 
Keenan  576948  Thomas  P.     Pvt.     56  Elsmere  Ave.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
Kincare  576949  John  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.    9  Florence  St.,  Newton 

Center,  Mass. 
King  576951  Bartholomew.    Pvt.    Gleesk  Kells  P.  0.,  Co.  Kerry, 

Ireland. 
King  576955  Luther.     Pvt.     Roda,  Virginia. 
Kipp  576952  Albert  W.     Pvt.     392  Salem  St.,  Medford,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Klier    576953    Oscar.     Pvt.     3    Berkley    St.,    Lawrence,    Mass. 
Kozaniecki  576954  John.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B,  55th  Arty.,  Aug. 
Kuehn  139822  Arnold  L.     Pvt. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 

June. 
LaCroix    576956    Edward    H.     Pvt.     Rockland,    Rhode    Island. 
Lahey  576957  Henry  T.     Wag.     560  East  Fifth  St.,  East  Boston, 
Mass. 


344  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Lally  576958  James  F.     Pvt. 

Died  under  circumstances  of  special  heroism.     Killed  (by  air- 
plane bomb)  Very  Oct.  8. 
Lambretch    139282   Aksel   J.     Pvt    1st   CI.     Suisun,    California. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Lamport   576959   Edwin.     Cpl.     26   Morse  St.,   Newton,    Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Langone  576960  John.     Pvt.     114  Mountain  Ave.,  Revere,  Mass. 
LaPage      576961     Llewellyn.     Pvt     1st     CI.      Hancock,    New 

Hampshire. 
Leight  576963  Charles.     Cook. 

July. 
Lennon  576964  Louis  M.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  23. 
Lenormand  576965  Joseph.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Lepine  584649  Chester.     Cpl.    339  Court  St.,  Brockton,  Mass. 

Sept. 
Lewis  577526  Claire  M.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Lind  576966  Edward  G.     Pvt.     346  Minomai  St.,  Newburyport, 

Mass. 
Lionetti  576967  Joseph.     Bug.     781  Third  Ave.,  Brooklyn,  New 

York. 
Logsdon  576968  Fred.     Sgt.     79  Pearl  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Longo    576972    Frank.     Pvt.     De    Vincenvo    Pronvinca,    Italy. 
Lowe  576970  Everett  L.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Macdonald  576971  Walter  S.    Wag.    291  Shawmut  Ave.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
MacLean  576973  Newton  M.     Pvt.     8  Congress  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
MacLeod  576974  John  H.     Pvt.     90  Norfolk  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Mahan  576975  Raphael.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Maharan  576976  Frederick  L.     Pvt. 

Mahoney  576977  Patrick  J.     Pvt.     Ballyara  Ballaum,  Loughrea, 
Ireland. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  22.     Returned. 
Maloney  576978  Fred  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     6  Middle  St.,  Watertown, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  C  345 

Marsh  576979  Henry.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Martin  576980  WiU  H.     Sgt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Clinton,  Tennessee. 

Jan. 
Matthews  576981  Thomas.     Pvt.     Mahoney  Place,  Pennsylvania. 
McArdle  576982  Francis  J.     Pvt.     22  Davis  St.,  Plymouth,  Mass. 
McCaffrey  576983  George  W.     Pvt.     43  Friend  St.,   Taunton, 

Mass. 
McCarthy  576984  Charles  J.     Pvt.     75  West  Adams  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
McCarthy  576987  James  J.     Mech.     254  Washington  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
McCorkle   576985  Francis  E.     Cpl.    24  Weld  Hill  St.,   Forest 

Hills,  Mass. 
McDermott  576986  James  C.     Pvt  1st  CI. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  31st  Arty.  Bri.  June. 
McDonough  576988  Patrick  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     13  West  Third  St., 

South  Boston,  Mass. 
Mclnemey  576989  Michael  B.    Pvt.  22  May  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
McLeod  580436  John  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     61  Labanon  St.,  Melrose, 

Mass. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
McManus   576990   James   E.     Pvt.     Sanderson   Ave.,  Dedham, 

Mass. 
Mealy   576991   Patrick.     Pvt.     53   Union   Park,   Boston,   Mass. 
Mercure  576992  David  N.     Pvt  1st  CI. 
Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Merrill  139839  Homer.     Wag.     Garneth,  Kansas. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Michalosky  576993  Alex.  J.     Cpl.     5  Bay  View  Ave.,  German- 
town,  Quincy,  Mass. 
Mills  576994  Edward  F.     Pvt.     44  Forster  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Morana  576996  Nicole.     Pvt.     Vis  Dagielbi  58,  Trapni,   Italy. 
MuUin  576997  Albert  C.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Royat  June  14. 
Murphy  576998  Edward.     Pvt  1st  CI.     28  Lyman  St.,  Holyoke, 

Mass. 
Murphy  577946  John  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     35  Bodwell  St.,  Lawrence, 

Mass. 
Sept.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co. 


346  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Murrin  576999  George  F.     Pvt.     120  Milton  St.,   Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Nelson  577000  Harry.     Pvt.     59  Park  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Nelson  139926  Walter.     Cpl.     Hurley,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Newsome  577001  Lloyd.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Ahoskie,  North  Carolina. 
Nolin  577002  Benjamin  E.     Pvt.     15  Garfield  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Noonan  577003  William  P.     Pvt.     Lynn,  Mass. 

Dropped  injured  Oct. 
Oberdeerster  577004  John  W.,  Jr.     Pvt.     516  Gordon  St.,  Allen- 
town,  Pennsylvania. 
Obuchowski  577005  John.     Pvt  1st  CI.    406  Maple  St.,  Holyoke 

Mass. 
O'Connor  577006  Daniel  P.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  18. 
O'Dea  577007  John  G.    Pvt  1st  CI.     158  Clark  St.,  Newton 

Center,  Mass. 
Operacz  577059  William  J.    Pvt.     20  Stillman  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Sept.     Name  changed  from  Trosky  by  order  of  Secretary  of 
War. 
Papmeau  577009  Napoleon.     Pvt  1st  CI.    Fisherville,  Grafton, 

Mass. 
Paradis  581028  George  A.     Pvt.    46  Walnut  St.,  Framingham, 
Mass. 
Dec. 
Parker  577008  Francis  C.    Pvt.    231  Walnut  St.,   Springfield, 
Mass. 
Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C,  Donjeux,  Dec.  10. — Tours. 
Pass  577011  Christopher  C.     Pvt.     1012  Willowby  Ave.,  Brooklyn, 

New  York. 
Patenaude  577010  Pacific  J.    Pvt.    50  Center  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  30.     Returned. 
Penniman  577012  Henry  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Winthrop,  Maine. 
Phaneuf  577013  Remi.     Pvt.     37  West  Main  St.,  Southbridge, 

Mass. 
Phillips  577014  George  G.    Wag. 
Proctor  577015  Henry  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     909  Albany  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Prough    577016    Orley.     Pvt.     Miller    St.,    Ligonier,    Indiana. 
Purcell  577017  Thomas  P.     Cpl.    School  St.,  Randolph,  Mass. 


Rostej^Bat.  C  347 

Rains  577018  Barney  J.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  Bat.  B  Aug. 

Ramion  577019  Alex  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     2202  Washington  St.,  Michi- 
gan City,  Indiana. 

Reynolds   577020   Grady   G.     Pvt   1st   CI.     Sylvester,    Georgia. 

Rideout  577021  Cyrus  B.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 

Riley  577022  John  L.     Sgt.     72  Parmenter  Road,  Newton,  Mass. 

Rivotto   577023   Merio.     Pvt.     540  South   Canal  St.,   Holyoke, 
Mass. 

Roberts    577024    Floumoy.     Cpl.     Goods    Springs,    Tennessee. 

Robertson  577025  Harold  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     12  Brodgerod  Place, 
Brockton,  Mass. 

Rodenhiser  577026  Steward.     Pvt  1st  CI.     39  Neponset  Ave., 
Dorchester,  Mass. 

Rogers  577027  Arthur.     Pvt. 

Rogers  577030  William  J.     Pvt.     1005  Winthrop  Ave.,  Revere, 
Mass. 

Roy  577028  Emile.    Pvt  1st  CI.     327  Salem  St.,  South  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Ruberto   577029   Michael.     Pvt.     117   Federal   St.,    Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 

Rubner  580437  Oscar.     Pvt.     79  Pleasant  St.,   Maiden,   Mass. 

Ruggerie    269281    Ernesto.     Pvt.     274    Oak    St.,    New    Haven, 
Connecticut. 
May.     Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 

Ryan  577031  Frank  H.    Sgt. 

Commissioned  1st  Lt.  Dental  Corps  Nov.  17. 

Salois  577032  Arthur  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Baudrey  Terrace,  Lynn, 
Mass. 

Salvon  577033  Raphael.    Pvt.    Sace,  Donia,  Italy. 

Sanborn  577034  Dean  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Tory  Fort  Lane,  Worces- 
ter, Mass. 

ScahiU  577035  Patrick  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    72  Frost  St.,  Clinton, 
Mass. 

Schutz  577036  Edward  J.     Wag.     Waconia,  Minnesota. 

Schwenke  577974  Paul  A.     1st  Sgt.     2  Simpson  Court,  Pearl  St., 
Charlestown,  Mass.,  care  of  Mrs.  Winnifred  Cameron. 
June.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.  55th  Arty. 


348  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Scott  577037  Anthony  A.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  4. 
Shea  577038  Peter  P.     Sgt.     Ayers  Village,  Haverhill,  Mass. 
Sheehan  577039  John  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     211  State  St.,  Northamp- 
ton, Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Base  Sect.  No.  5,  Jan. 
Sheldon  577040  John  D.     Pvt  1st  CI.     72  Boston  Ave.,  West 

Medford,  Mass. 
Sloan  578419  Joseph  W.     Sgt.     29  Shafter  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Sept.    Transferred  from  Bat.  B. 
Smith  580159  Harry  T.     Pvt.     189  Park  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Smith  577041  Moses.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  May  16.     Rejoined  Regiment.     Transferred  to 

HQ.  Co.  Aug. 
Smith  580343  Nicholas  H.    Pvt. 

Nov. 
Smith  577043  Walter  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     12  Morris  Ave.,  Ware, 

Mass. 
Smyth  577046  Edward  H.     Pvt.     108  Myrtle  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Sokolow  577042  Morris  J.     Pvt.     253J^  Plain  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Solari  577044  Anthony  J.    Wag.     15  Short  St.,  Milford,  Mass. 
Squilliacioti  577053  Anthony.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3,  July. 
Sorenson    139883    Chris.     Pvt.     Douglas,    North    Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Stanley  139328  WUbur  L.    Sgt. 

May    10.     Transferred   from    147th   F.    Arty.     Dropped   sick 

Nov.  12. 
Stanwood  577045  Augustus  T.     Cpl.    78  Devonshire  St.,  Boston, 
Mass. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Donjeux,  Dec.  10. 
Stenbeck   577047   Emil.     Cpl.    Ystod   Skane,   Sweden. 
Stockwell  577048  Roy  W.     Pvt. 
Streatch  577049  William.     Cook. 

Streeter  577050  Lester  T.    Pvt.    783  Lawrence  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Stubblefield  577051  Bernard  B.     Cpl.     824  Clark  St.,  Paducah, 
Kentucky. 

Dropped  sick  May  10.     Returned. 


Rosters-Bat,  C  349 

Stusenski  577052  Victor.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B  Aug. 
Sutfin    139348    Harold    A.     Wag.     Marysville,    California. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Sweeney  577054  Edward.     Cpl.     534  Fletcher  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Terwilliger    139895    Henry    J.     Pvt.     Parker,    South    Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Thomas  577055  Charles  B.     Pvt.     9  CHfif  St.,  Beverly,   Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  18.     Returned. 
Thomas    577058    Fred    H.     Wag.     West    Wadsbro,     Vermont. 
Thompson  139355  Frank  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     802  West  Richmond 
St.,  St.  Johns,  Oregon. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Till  577056  Horace  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Bickfield  House,  Shipley, 
England. 

Dropped  sick  July  24.     Returned. 
Tiller  577057  Ernest  C.     Cook.     34  Main  St.,   Coolun,   North 
Carolina. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  27.     Returned. 
Trosky  577059  WiUiam  J.     Pvt. 

Name  changed  to  Operacz  by  order  of  Secretary  of  War  Sept. 
Tumbul  577060  John.     Cpl.     2  Bath  St.,  Wicklow,  Co.  Wicklow, 

Ireland. 
Valinsky  577062  Joseph.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Nanty  Glo,  Pennsylvania. 
VanDerNoort  581922  Judokus.     Cpl.     18th  St.,  Holland,  Michi- 
gan, care  of  Mr.  John  Steketee. 

Nov. 
VanLenten  577063  Leonard.     Pvt.     22  Loretta  St.,  Clifton  (or 

Wallington),  New  Jersey. 
Walsh  577064  Martm  F.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Wall    2454540   Charles    H.     Pvt.     580    East   Broadway,    South 
Boston,  Mass. 

Nov. 
West  577065  John  G.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  July  23. 
Wexler    139907    Hyman.     Wag.     Brookings,    South    Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
White  577066  James  J.     Pvt.     2129  Lexington  Ave.,  New  York 
City. 


350  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

White    577068   Mosey.     Pvt.     21   Spruce   St.,   Sanford,    Maine. 

White  577070  Timothy  F.     Wag.     2  Highland  Park,  Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Whittemore  577067  Alfred  C.     Wag.     7  Winthrop  St.,  Framing- 
ham,  Mass. 

Widdowfield  577069  John  E.    Sgt.     226  Winthrop  St.,  Brooklyn, 
New  York. 

Williams  577071  Frederick  G.     Pvt.     Lexington  Road,  Concord, 
Mass. 

Wilson  139369  Jacob  M.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Vancouver,  Washington. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 

Wmslow  577072  Harold  T.     Pvt.     18  Whitman  St.,  Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Woodman  580435  Raymond  J.     Cook.     11  Dartmouth  St.,  Somer- 
ville,  Mass. 

Woods  2454520  Charles  H.    Pvt.    40  Roslyn  St.,  Salem,  Mass. 
Nov. 

Wyckoff  477073  Melville  H.     Sgt.     Ft.  Banks,  Winthrop,  Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Oct.  8.     Returned  to  U.  S.  a  casual. 

Yorgenson  577074  Carl  M.     Cpl. 

Zepfler  577075  Louis  H.    Cpl. 

May. 


Commanding  Officers,  Bat.  D 

Thomas  W.  Clifford,  Dec.  15,  '17  -  Dec.  27,  '17. 
Carl  W.  Bettcher,  Dec.  27,  '17  -  Feb.  1,  '18. 
John  A.  Stitt,  Feb.  1,  '18  -  Apr.  18,  '18. 
George  W.  Hirsch,  Apr.  18,  '18  -  Dec.  19,  '18. 
Leon  B.  Ranger,  Dec.  19,  '18  - 

Abraham  578672  Jack.     Pvt.     17  Castle  Gate  Road,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Adams  578673  Henry  F.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  20. 
Addy  578674  Joshua  F.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Akers  578675  Gerald  R.    Pvt  1st  CI.     9  Granada  Ave.,  Roslin- 

dale,  Mass. 
Allen  578676  Herman  F.     Pvt.     13  Chestnut  St.,  Natick,  Mass. 
Anderson  297213  Henry  R.    Pvt  1st  CI.     R.  F.  D.  No.  4,  Box 
68,  Greenville,  Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Attwood  578678  David.     Cpl.     166  Irvington  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Aubin  578680  Romeo  H.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July.     Killed  by  truck  Dec. 
Avylla  578679  John.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Babbitt  578683  Earl  S.     Pvt.     19  Trescott  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Baggesen  578682  Randolph  C.     Sgt.     332  Plain  St.,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  Oct.  1.     Returned  to  Bat. 
Bambas  139761  Anton  J.    Pvt. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty.    Dropped  sick  Oct.  23. 
Bannigan  578684  Joseph  L.     Pvt.     71  Pleasant  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Baptista  578685  Joseph.    Pvt.     18  Hope  St.,   Taunton,   Mass. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Baran  578686  Joseph  S.     Pvt.     8  Attwood  Court,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Bello  578688  John  N.     Bug.     16  Dean  Ave.,  Taunton,   Mass. 
Benson    583204   Frederick    G.     Cpl.    48    Howe   St.,    Lewiston, 
Maine. 
Aug. 


352  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Benson  139938  Ivan  C.     Cpl.     Hurley,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Bergin  581005  Thomas  A.     Pvt.     808  Mount  Auburn  St.,  Water- 
town,  Mass. 
Nov. 
Bernard  578689  Arthur  A.     Pvt.     458  Coggeshall  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
BUlmgton  578690    Edward.     Cpl.     10  Lucas  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Boland  578691  Thomas  F.     Cpl. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  13.     Returned.     Again  Aug.  17.     A  casual. 
Borden  578692  Everett  W.     Cpl.     17  School  St.,  North  Dighton, 

Mass. 
Borges  578693  Joseph  E.     Pvt. 

Dropped  a.  w.  o.  1.  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Bowton  578694  John  A.     Wag.   184  Harrison  Ave.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Bradshaw  578695  Ralph  A.     Sgt.     Centre  St.,  North  Raynham, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  July  22.     Returned. 
Breault  578697  George  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     195  Hersom  St.,  New 

Bedford,  Mass. 
Brenneke  578696  Charles  H.     Cpl.     233  Cedar  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
Bridgford  578698  John  W.     Pvt.     Princeton  St.,  North  Chelms- 
ford, Mass. 
Briggs  578700  Jesse  A.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Brodrick  578699  Richard  G.     Wag. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  7. 
Brooks  578701  John  L.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  Aug. 
Brown  259810  Henry  E.     Pvt.     Houston,  Missouri. 

May. 
Brown  578702  Walter  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     183  Water  St.,  Warren, 

Rhode  Island. 
Burgess  578703  WUliam  H.     Pvt. 

Dropped    sick    Apr.    25.     Returned.     Transferred    to   Supply 
Co.,  55th  Arty.,  May. 
Butler  578704  Charles  H.     Pvt.     Bliss  Corner,  South  Dartmouth, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat  D  353 

Butler  578706  Clarence  H.     Pvt.     23  Grape  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Butterfield  591275  Wyatt  G.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Nov.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Caido  578705  Joaquim  M.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Cairy  139773  Clyde  C.     Wag.    Hurley,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Campbell  259807  Leo  W.     Wag. 

May.     Dropped  sick  Nov.  13. 
Carey  578708  Carl  T.     Wag.     2  Worcester  St.,  Belmont,  Mass. 
Carlson  578709  Raymond.     Pvt. 

Carroll  578710  James  M.     Pvt  1st  CI.     75  Vine  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
Carron  578711  Joseph  L.     Pvt.     North  Scituate,  Rhode  Island. 
Cassidy  578712  John  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Crossroads,  North  Dart- 
mouth, Mass. 
Chace  297227  Sam  V.     Wag.     R.  F.  D.  No.  5,  Bad  Axe,  Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Chase  578713  Elton  F.     Pvt. 

Dropped  S.  D.  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Chetwynde  580178  Lawrence  L.    Pvt  1st  CI.    760  Broadway, 
Everett,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Cobb  578715  Henry  F.     Pvt.     21  Chestnut  St.,  Needham,  Mass. 

Sick  Apr.  26.     Returned  to  Bat. 
Coe  578716  Charles.     Wag.     79  Cherry  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Cohen  578717  Joseph.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Collins    591287   Jerry   A.     Pvt.    449    Summer   St.,    Hammond, 
Indiana. 

Nov. 
Commanday  578718  Charles.    Pvt.    21   Balfour  St.,   Roxbury, 
Mass. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 
Conaty   578714  Thomas   R.     Cpl.     12   Gusher   Lane,   Taunton, 

Mass. 
Connolly  576865  Homer  P.     Pvt. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Ordnance  Dept.     Transferred  to  Bat. 

C,  Oct. 
23 


354  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Connor  578719  James.  Sgt.  281  Davis  St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Connors  578721  Edward.  Pvt.  4  School  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 
Cook  297334  Frank  L.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Apr.   22.     Transferred  from   119th  F.  Arty.     Transferred  to 
Supply  Co.  July. 
Cote  578723  Philip  J.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 
Cotter  578720  Frederick  R.    Mech. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  26. 
Coyne  578722  James  W.    Pvt.    436  Sawyer  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Cranshaw  578725  William  E.      Pvt.     130  Fair  St.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  "Cretic"  Jan.  22. 
Creeden  578726  David  F.    Pvt.     148  Hobart  St.,  Danvers,  Mass. 

Youngest  soldier,  aged  15.     Dropped  sick  Dec. 
Crittenden  297240  Glenn  L.     Wag.     1114  Lathrop  St.,  Lansing, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.  Dec. 

Crowe  578724  Edward  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    3  Norton  Court,  New 
Bedford,  Mass. 
May  16.     Dropped  sick.     Returned  to  Bat.     Dropped  injured 
Arcis  le  Ponsart  Aug.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Cumisky  578727  James  E.    Pvt.     114  Harriet  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Cummings  578728  Michael  J.     Pvt.    45  North  St.,  Haverhill, 

Mass. 
Davies  578729  James  J.    Pvt.    75  Rodney  St.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Dec.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Desjardins  578731  Napoleon.    Cook. 

Dropped  sick  July  23. 
Distefano  578733  Eugene.    Pvt.    538  Douglas  Ave.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Domenico    578734    Thomas    M.     Mech.     130    Prospect    Ave., 

Chelsea,  Mass. 
Donaghy  578735  Andrew  J.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Donahue  578736  John  J.    Sgt.    8  Godfrey  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Donahue  578738  Joseph  E.  Cpl.  215  Winthrop  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  D  355 

Dnilensky  471866  Martin  G.     Cpl.     Sauck  Rapids,  Minnesota. 

Nov. 
Dumas  578739  George  N.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  23. 
Durant  578740  George  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     20  South  Emerison  St., 

New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Dropped  injured  Oct.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Easterday  297527  James  C.    Pvt. 

Apr.   22.     Transferred  from   119th   F.   Arty.     Transferred  to 
HQ.  Co.  June. 
Eisenmann    139932    George.    Pvt.     Scotland,    South    Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Enaire  578741  Arthur  J.     Pvt.     14  Andover  St.,  North  Andover, 

Mass. 
Enos  578742  Alfred.     Pvt.     67  Ward  St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Entwistle   578743   WiUiam   W.    Pvt.    205   Campbell   St.,   New 

Bedford,  Mass. 
Esposito  578744  Joseph  E.    Pvt.    2  Lee  St.,  Providence,    Rhode 

Island. 
Farley  578745  William  H.    Pvt.    94  Somerset  Ave.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Farrow  578746  Howard.    Pvt.    Care  of  State  Hospital,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Field  578753  Stephen  A.     Cpl.     1682  Purchase  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Finney  578747  William.  Pvt.     31  Brooks  St.,  Whitinsville,  Mass. 
Foley  578751  Joseph  P.     Sgt.     34  Durfee  St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Forand  576774  Edmund.    Pvt.    88  Nelson  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Forant   578748   Joseph    G.     Pvt.     Saint   Albans,    Vermont. 
Forrest  578749  Arthur  D.     Wag.     25  South  St.,  North  Brook- 
field,  Mass. 
Foster  578750  Albert  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     185  Main  St.,  Fairhaven, 

Mass. 
Fram  2454530  Hyman.    Pvt.    Rock  Hill  Road,  Amesbury,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Francis  578752  Frank.    Sgt.    216  Dartmouth  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Francis  578754  George  F.    Pvt. 

Dropped  physical  disability  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 


356  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Franklin  297255  Fay  C.     Cpl.     1207  West  Alligan  St.,  Lansing, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Friedrich    139802    Charles.     Pvt.     5009    Grove    St.,    Oakland, 
California. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Gerred  297260  Ralph  E.     Pvt.     425  South  Park  St.,  Boyne  City, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.     Drowned  bathing 
Romeny  Aug.  12. 
Gillam  297262  Clyde.     Pvt.     Harling,  Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Gorman  578755  Russell  E.     Cpl.     17  Knight  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Royat  June  18.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Goyette  578757  Edward  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     112  McGill  St.,  Paw- 
tucket,  Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  "Cretic"  Jan.  22. 
Graham  580470  Charles.     Pvt.     5  Plymouth  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Grant    578758    William    J.     Wag.     East    Mattapoisett,    Mass. 
Greene  578759  Frank  C.  Wag.  58  Bedford  St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Grojinsky  602179  Jacob.     Pvt. 
Sept.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  16. 
Gunn  139808  Robert  A.     Cpl.     Scotland,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Gustafson  578760  Gilbert  C.     Sgt.    40  Gallup  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Guthrie  578761  Harold  B.     Cpl.     53  Dartmouth  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Hale  578762  Charles  J.     Pvt.     9  Peabody  St.,  Bradford,  Mass. 
Hall  578763  Francis  E.     Pvt.     34  Grove  St.,  East  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 
SUghtly  injured  Aug.  21  Chdteau-Thierry,  bringing  gun  into 
position.     Returned  to  Bat. 
Hall  578765  Joseph  E.     Pvt.     34  Grove  Ave.,  East  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Halloran  578764  Peter  J.     Pvt.     65  CHnton  St.,  Newton,  Mass. 
Hamilton  603097  Charles.     Pvt.     223  West  148  St.,  New  York 
City. 
Sept.     Dropped  confinement  Ft.  Wright,  Feb.  17. 


Roster— Bat,  D  357 

Hanna  578766  Edward  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     55  North  Pleasant  St., 

Taunton,  Mass. 
Harwood  578767  Lester  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.     91  Tremont  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Hathaway  578768  James  B.     Pvt.     6  Perkins  Court,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Haywood  578769  Thomas  E.     Pvt.     1328  Pleasant  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Oct.  25.     Returned. 
Hennessey  578770  William  V.     Pvt  1st  CI.     18  Sea  View  Ave., 

Revere,  Mass. 
Hewett  583239  Ernest  P.     Cpl.     P.  O.  Box  10,  East  Winthrop, 

Maine. 
July.     Dropped  sick  S.  S.  ''Cretic"  Jan.  22. 
Higgins  578771  Frederick.     Sgt.     270  Tinkham  Ave.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
Higgins  578773  Herbert  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     270  Tinkham  St.,  New 

Bedford,  Mass. 
Holland    578774    Robert    F.     Pvt.     37    Reading    St.,    Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Hood  578775  Charles  F.     Wag.     9  Dewey  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Horton  578776  Harold  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     262  Main  St.,  Wareham, 

Mass. 
Hoyle  578777  Richard.    Supply  Sgt.     176  Cove  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Huntley  578778  Lawrence  W.     Pvt. 

Dropped  a.  w.  o.  1.  Aug. 
Hushon  578779  William.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Ismond  297276  Wallace.     Pvt. 

Apr.   22.     Transferred  from   119th  F.   Arty.     Transferred  to 
HQ.  Co.  June. 
Jacobsen  578780  Fred  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     37  Jackson  St.,  Quincy, 

Mass. 
Jubette  578781  Ernest  J.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 
Judge  578782  Edward  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     184  Campbell  St.,  New 

Bedford,  Mass. 
Keehn  578783  Charles  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     196  Waldo  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 


358  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Keeney  297278  Gordon  A.    Wag.    R.  F.  D.   No.  6,  Lansing, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Kelley  2923431  John  E.     Pvt.     P.   O.   Box  No.    167,   Sulphur 
Louisiana. 
Nov. 
Kenney  578784  Frank  J.     Cook.     55  Third  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 
Island. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  ''Cretic"  Jan.  22. 
Kimball  578785  Earl  A.     Pvt.     Bridgewater,  Maine. 
Kimball  578787  Richard  J.,  Jr.     Pvt.     Bridgewater,  Maine. 
Klemens  577222  Henry.     Pvt.    7  Daniels  St.,  Salem,  Mass. 
Oct.    Transferred  from  Ordnance  Dept.    Went  San  Francisco 
with  Regiment. 
Koppen  503046  Joseph.     Pvt.     Cassville,  Wisconsin. 

Nov. 
Landy  578788  William.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Langshaw  578790  Edwin  F.     Pvt. 

June. 
Lanni  578789  Thomas  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.    294  Laurel  Hill  Ave., 
Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  ^'Cretic"  Jan.  22. 
Larkin  578792  James  J.    Pvt.    125  Chestnut  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
LaRoche  578793  William  T.  H.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3,  July. 
Latimer  578791  William  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     26  Moore  St.,  Central 

Falls,  Rhode  Island. 
LavaUee  578796  Emile  W.    Bug. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Lavoine  578794  Raymond  T.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Lawlor  578797  Charles  A.     Pvt.     138  Ingel  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Lawrence  578798  Manuel.     Pvt.     230  Alden  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Leader  578799  Arthur.     Pvt  1st  CI.     30  Bowditch  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
Leahy   578051    James   J.    A.     Sgt.     4   Ashland   Place,    Melrose 
Highlands,  Mass. 
May.     Transferred  from  Supply  Co.,  55th  Arty. 


Roster— Bat  D  359 

LeBlanc   578800  Andrew  J.     Pvt.     17  Lawrence  St.,   Taunton, 

Mass. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  "Cretic"  Jan.  22. 
LeChasseur  578804  Philip  A.     1st  Sgt.     179  Main  St.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Lee  578801  William  T.     Pvt.     89  South  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
L'Heureux  578805  Ernest.     Bug.     134  State  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
LeHoullier    578803    Arthur.     Pvt    1st    CI.     137    Kenyon    Ave., 

Pawtucket,  Rhode  Island. 
Lemaire  578802  Roland.     Pvt.     18  Franklin  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Levine  578806  Benjamin.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Levesque  578807  George.     Cpl.     245  Sawyer  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Lewis  472369  Fred.     Cpl.     Florence,  Wisconsin. 

Dec.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B. 
Lister  578808  Clarence.     Pvt.     316  Howard  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Littlefield  578809  Leslie  R.     Pvt.     88  Webster  St.,  East  Saugus 

Mass. 
Logan  578810  Frederick  M.     Pvt.     820  Broadway,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Lucey  578811  John  F.     Pvt.    40  Adams  St.,  Taunton,   Mass. 
Lundberg  297287  Herbert  W.     Pvt. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.    Transferred  to  HQ. 
Co.  June. 
Lynch  578812  Francis  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     18  Wilbur  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Lyons  297288  Bert  G.     Wag.     Lennon,  Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Mador  578826  Wilfred  A.     Cpl.     8  Powers  Ave.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Malvessi  578827  Joseph.     Cook.     Fiorenzuola,  D'Arda  Piacenza, 

Italy. 
Manning  578828  James  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     221  Webster  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Marcotte   578829  Anthony.     Pvt.     R.   F.   D.   No.   3,   Marcotte 

St.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Markey  578830  George  F.     Mech.     Fairhaven,  Mass. 


360  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Marra   578831   Antonio.     Pvt.     634  Douglas   Ave.,   Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 
Battery  Barber. 
Marshall  578832  Fred  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Fremont  St.,  Bridge- 
water,  Mass. 
Martin  578833  Fred  R.     Pvt.    4  Pearl  St.,   Somerville,   Mass. 
Matthews  297299  Andrew  A.     Pvt.     20  Parker  Ave.,  Detroit, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
McAvoy  578813  Francis  J.     Cook.     103  South  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
McCarrick  578814  Thomas  J.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
McCarthy  578815  Edward.     Cook. 

McCourtie  297291  Carl  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     P.  0.  Box  131,  Webber- 
ville,  Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.    Dropped  sick  Camp 
Mills  Jan.  26. 
McEwan  578816  Harold  R.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  July  16. 
McGann  578817  Richard  M.     Pvt  1st  CI.     8  Cottage  St.,  Water- 
town,  Mass. 
McGann  578819  William  F.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  15. 
McGlew  578818  Charles  J.    Pvt.     11   Morton  St.,  Stoughton, 

Mass. 
McGreil  578820  Stephen  A.     Pvt.     25  Arcadia  Park,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
McLaughlin  578823  Irving  A.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  S.  S.  ''Cretic''  Jan.  22. 
McLane  578822  Charles  N.    Pvt.     P.  0.  Box  41,  Hancock,  Maine. 

Left  sick  Ft.  Banks.     Rejoined  Bat.  Oct. 
McMann  578824  Thomas  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     308  Tremont  St., 

Taunton,  Mass. 
McNamara  578825  Denis.     Pvt  1st  CI.     108J^  Inman  St.,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 
Millette  578834  Jean  S.     Sgt.     Crossroads,  North  Dartmouth, 
Mass. 
Wounded  Sept.  9.     Returned  Oct.  16. 


Roster— Bat.  D  361 

MitcheU  581584  Herman  E.     Pvt. 

Sept. 
Moore  578835  Clifton  R.     Pvt  1st  CI.     244  Broadway,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Morehouse  297305  Jay  S.     Pvt.    R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  North  Adams, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Moriarty    587836   John   J.     Pvt.     148    Harrison   Ave.,    Boston, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Apr.  14.     Returned. 
Morrison  297306  Thomas  A.     Pvt. 

Apr.   22.     Transferred  from   119th  F.   Arty.     Transferred  to 
HQ.  Co.  June. 
Murphy  578838  Samuel  E.     Pvt.     7  Cross  St.,  Somerville,  Mass., 

care  of  Miss  Marion  Cushing. 
Murdock  578837  Walter  E.     Cpl.     62  Sidney  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Nelson  578839  Charles  H.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  8. 
Nelson  578841  William  B.     Pvt.     726  Kempton  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Noonan   578840   Dennis   B.     Pvt.     6   McSoIey   Ave.,   Taunton, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Oct.  27.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Norwood   578842  John   S.     Pvt   1st   CI.     1208  Acushnet  Ave., 

New  Bedford,  Mass. 
Norwood  578844  Malcolm.     Pvt  1st  CI.     1208  Acushnet  Ave., 

New  Bedford,  Mass. 
O'Donnell  578843  Patrick  J.     Pvt.     10  Parker  St.,  Charlestown, 

Mass. 
O'Leary  578845  George  D.     Pvt. 
Oliver   578846   Grover  C.     Wag.     4  Royal  St.,   Allston,   Mass. 

Dropped  sick,  Aubiere,  Apr.  26.     Returned. 
Oliver  578848  Joseph.     Pvt.     343  Kempton  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
O'Mara  578847  James  R.     Pvt   1st  CI.     798  South  First  St., 

New  Bedford,  Mass. 
O'Neill  578849  Earl  B.     Pvt.     2  Avon  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 
Ordway  297310  Bert.     Wag.     Durand,  Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 


362  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Page    578850   Carl   E.     Pvt.     50   House   St.,    Haverhill,    Mass. 
Parker  578851  Myron  S.    Bug. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  26. 
Parish  297312  George  F.     Wag.     825  West  Main  St.,  Lansing, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Patrick  721732  Thomas  A.     Pvt.     Miami,  Florida. 

Nov. 
Patterson  578853  Harry  J.     Cpl.     20  Teel  St.,  Arlington,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  Aug. 
Peck  578854  Raymond  A.     Pvt.     North  Scituate,  Rhode  Island. 
Phelan  578636  George  W.     Pvt.     20  Newbury  St.,  Somerville, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Powers  578855  William  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     5  Harvard  Ave.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 
Powers  578857  William  T.     Pvt.     93  Carrington  Ave.,   Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Press  578856  Ernest  S.     Cpl.     95  Bonney  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Quirk  578858  John  J.      Pvt.     106  Union  Park  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Rabmovitz  2454523  Aaron.     Pvt.    40  Holborn  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Nov.     Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Rainville    578859   Leo.     Pvt.     141    Collette   St.,   New   Bedford, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  July  1.     Returned. 
Raymond  578861  William.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  17. 
Reagan  578862  Edward  T.     Pvt.     Box    179,   Vineyard  Haven, 

Mass. 
Reardon  578863  James  T.    Pvt  1st  CI.     11  Revere  St.,  Winthrop, 

Mass. 
Reed  578864  Albert  C.  H.    Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Ricker  578866  Richard  T.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  20. 
Ricketson  578867  Ernest  H.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Roberts  578868  Henry.     Pvt.     103  Conanicus  St.,   Fall  River, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat  D  363 

Roberts    578870   Martin   T.     Pvt.     791    Somerville   Ave.,    East 

Somerville,  Mass. 
Rogers  578869  Caleb  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     74  Chase  Ave.,  Webster, 
Mass. 

Mail  Orderly. 
Rouillard  578871  George  J.  Wag.  113  Copeland  St.,  Quincy,  Mass. 
Rouse  297318  Raymond  C.     Pvt.     2211  Ave.  A,  Flint,  Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Rowe  578873  Harry.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Supply  Co.,  55th  Arty.,  June. 
Roy  578872  Edward.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Ryan  578874  John  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     266  Pope  St.,  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  15.     Returned. 
SaUsbury  578875  Harold  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     730  Potter  Ave.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Santos  577877  Manuel.     Pvt. 

Dropped  a.  w.  o.  1.  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Savard  578878  Joseph.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.  July. 
Seitz    577975   Jesse    C.    Mess   Sgt.    Green   Forest,    Arkansas. 

June.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.  55th  Arty.     Went  to  San 

Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Shaw  578879  Ellas.     Pvt.     Rockland,  Rhode  Island. 
Shaw  578881  Saunders  D.     Wag.     16  Elk  Ave.,  Melrose  High- 
lands, Mass. 
Sherman  578880  Harry  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.    277  Court  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  5.     Returned.     Commended  in  regimental 

orders  Sept.  14. 
Sherman  578882  Robert  A.     Pvt.     Rockland,  Rhode  Island. 
Shinkwin  578883  Robert  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Chelms- 
ford, Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
Shirley  297320  Thomas  H.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  16. 
Silva  578884  Manuel.     Pvt.     10  Galligan  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 
Simmons    578885    George    F.     Pvt.     247    President    Ave.,    Fall 
River,  Mass. 


364  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Smith  578889  Bernard.     Mech.    48  Hodges  Ave.,  Taunton,  Mass. 

Smith  578886  Howard.     Pvt  1st  CI.     145  Campbell  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 

Smith  297034  Lloyd  S.     Pvt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  4,  Grand  Ledge, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 

Smith  1756917  Ralph  A.     Pvt.  9  Myrtle  St.,  Biddeford,  Maine. 
Sept.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 

Souza  578888  John  S.     Pvt. 

Dropped  a.  w.  o.  1.  Camp  Merritt  May  16.    Rejoined  Bat.  Sept. 

SpoUett  578890  Frank  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     160  Davis  St.,  WoUaston, 
Mass. 

Stefonik  578891  Walter  W.     Cpl.     255  North  Front  St.,  New 
Bedford,  Mass. 

Stratton  578892  Charles  A.   Cpl.    152  G  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 

Sweeney  578893  Charles  E.     Wag.     199  Elm  St.,  Bangor,  Maine. 

Theriault  578900  Alfred  J.     Cpl.    423  Washington  St.,  Taunton, 
Mass. 

Therrien  578895  Arthur  W.     Pvt. 
Dropped  sick  Sept.  30. 

Thompson  578897  Albert.     Pvt.     147  Belleville  Road,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 

Tocher  582636  James  D.     Cpl.     R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Falmouth,  Maine. 
Nov. 

Toppan  578898  Charles  F.     Cpl.     54  Highland  St.,  Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Trembley  578899  Paul  J.     Pvt.     New  Bedford,  Mass. 

Died  Aubiere  June  13.     First  military  funeral  in  55th  Arty. 

Vargos  578901  Joseph  E.     Pvt.     257  South  Second  St.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 

Vlanderen  578902  Alphonse.    Pvt. 

Walker  578903  Howard  C.     Pvt.     30  Trescott  St.,  Taunton,  Mass. 

Warren  578905  Benjamin  F.     Sgt.     5493/^  Dartmouth  St.,  New 
Bedford,  Mass. 

Werner    139372   August.     Pvt.     119   Florida   St.,    VaUigo,  Cali- 
fornia. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 

Westgate   578906  Clifton  A.     Mech.     7  Bridge  St.,   Fairhaven, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  "Cretic"  Jan.  22. 


Roster— Bat.  D  365 

White    578907   Abiathar.     Sgt.     98    High    St.,    Taunton,    Mass. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14. 
White  578911  George  A.     Pvt.     50  Pocumtuek  Ave.,  Taunton, 

.  Mass. 
Whiteside  578908  Joseph.     Pvt.     29  Cedar  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Williams  578910  Albert  M.     Bug.     175  Acushnet  Ave.,  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Aug.  10.     Returned. 
WUliams  578912  Henry  S.     Pvt  1st  CI.     153  Hart  St.,  Taunton, 

Mass. 
Wolf  297339  Ernest  F.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.  June. 

Wood  578914  George  S.     Pvt  1st  CI.     160  Lewis  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
Wright  578915  James  J.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3,  Aug. 
Young  578913  Henry.     Pvt  1st  CI.     349  Earle  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
Young  578916  Leon  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Tucker  Road,  North  Dart- 
mouth, Mass.,  or  Cedar  St.,  Fairhaven,  Mass. 
Zuelch   231557  Herman.     Pvt   1st   CI.     Henderson,   Minnesota. 
May.     Dropped  sick  June  30.     Returned. 


COMMANDING  OFFICERS,  3D  BATTALION 

Harry  A.  Skinner,  Dec.  4,  -  Dec.  30,  '17. 
Marshall  S.  Holbrook,  Dec.  30,  '17  -  Apr.  16,  '18. 
Forest  C.  Shaffer,  Apr.  16  -  May  25,  '18. 
Ralph  W.  Wilson,  May  25  -  June  26,  '18. 
Richard  Furnival,  June  26  -  July,  '18. 
Marshall  S.  Holbrook,  July -Sept.  28,  '18. 
James  E.  Nestor,  Sept.  28,  '18  -  Feb.,  '19. 

Commanding  Officers,  Bat.  E 

Walter  B.  Smith,  July,  '17  -  Apr.  18,  '18. 
Forest  C.  Shaffer,  Apr.  18,  '18 -Nov.  11,  '18. 
James  G.  McDougall,  Nov.  11,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18. 
Thomas  J.  Leary,  Dec.  19,  '18  - 

Acciardo  579833  Pasquale  F.    Pvt.    520  South  Union  St.,  Law- 
rence, Mass. 
Adams  579834  John  J.    Pvt. 

Jan. 
Albro  577516  Roland  G.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Peace  Dale,  Rhode  Island. 
Allard  579835  Joseph  E.     Pvt.     P.  O.  Box  No.  52,    Nasonville, 

Rhode  Island. 
Anderson  579836  Gustaf  C.     1st  Sgt.    P.  0.  Box  182,  Hillsboro, 

Rhode  Island. 
Anderson  579838  Gustave  T.    Pvt.    47  Elmwood  Ave.,  Lynn, 

Mass. 
Andrews  579837  Edward  B.     Mech.     196  Gallup  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Arena  579839  Nyck.    Pvt. 

Dropped  wounded  Oct. 
Auclair  579840  Wilfred  N.    Bug.    7  Ridge  St.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 
Augustine  579843  Clarence  M.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  19. 
Bailey  579844  Clifton  M.    Pvt.     14  Evelyn  St.,  Central  Falls, 

Rhode  Island. 
Bailey   579846  Harold  A.    Cpl.     91   Benedict  St.,   Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 


Roster— Bat.  E  367 

Ballard  579845  Victor  L.     Pvt.     7  Edna  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Bannister    579847    Edward    J.     Cpl.     Wakefield,  Rhode    Island. 
Barrett    579848   Charles   W.     Pvt    1st    CI.     582   Plainfield   St., 

Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Bartlett  579849  Henry  W.     Sgt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  21. 
Beck  579850  Raymond  J.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  Aug. 
Bedard  579851  Eugene  J.     159  Hendrick  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
BedoU  259829  Everett  L.     Pvt.     Poplar  Bluff,  Missouri. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Bennett  579852  Henry  D.     Pvt.     678  Boylston  St.,  Newton  Center, 

Mass. 
Bennett  579854  Joseph  T.     Pvt.     474  Washington  St.,  Stoughton, 

Mass. 
Berard  579853  Henry  W.     Pvt.     123^  Middlesex  Place,  Lowell, 

Mass. 
Birch  579855  Herbert  S.     Pvt.     Hughesdale,  Rhode  Island. 

Left  sick  Ft.  Standish.     Rejoined  Bat.  June. 
Bornstein  579856  David.    Pvt.     15  Walnut  Ave.,  Revere,  Mass., 
Boyle  579857  Patrick.     Pvt. 

Left  a.  w.  o.  1.  Camp  Merritt.     Rejoined  Bat.  June. 
Bradley  579858  Allen  E.    Pvt. 

Sept. 
Brennan  579859  James.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Brennecke  577822  Clarence  H.     Cpl.     Greenway,  Arkansas. 
Aug.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.  55th  Arty.     Went  to  San 
Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Brierly  579860  James  T.     Pvt.     18  Beverly  St.,  North  Andover, 

Mass. 
Brillard  579861  Arthur  W.     Pvt.     Waterville,  Maine. 
Britcliffe  579862  Daniel  J.     Mech. 

Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 
Brown  579863  Edmund.     Pvt   1st   CI.     1357   Chalkstone  Ave., 
Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Mail  Orderly. 
Brown  579865  Philip  M.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Foxboro,  Mass. 


368 


The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 


Pvt  1st  CI.  27  Cutting  Ave.,  Arling- 
Pvt  1st  CI.  176  Summit  Ave.,  Provi- 
Jr.     Pvt.     Care  of  Art  Dept.,  Boston 


Rhode 


Brown    579867    Roland    S.     Cpl.     169    Lester    St.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Brown   579869   Theodore.     Wag.     190   Gallup   St.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Brunnelle  579864  William  H.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  31st  H.  Arty.  Brigade,  Sept. 
Burns  579866  Almore  E.     Pvt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Grasmere,  New* 

Hampshire. 
Burns  579868  Joseph  R. 

ton,  Rhode  Island. 
Butler  579870  Joseph  H. 
dence,  Rhode  Island. 
Butters  579871  John  W., 
Globe,  Boston,  Mass. 
Dropped  a.  w.  o.  1.    Transferred  to  Labor  Batl.  Oct. 
Cadell    579872   Joseph.     Pvt    1st    CI.     North    Scituate, 

Island. 
Campbell  579873  WilUam  P.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  16. 
Candelet  579874  John  E.     Cook.     29  Horton  St 
Cann  579875  Chester  C.     Pvt.     70  Holton  St 
Card  579976  Harold  H.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3,  June. 
Carlock  259806  William  I.     Cpl.     Wray,  Colorado. 

May.     Dropped  sick  S.  S.  ''Cretic''  Jan.  22. 
Carter  579877  Thomas  E.     Pvt. 
Chace  579878  Earl  L.     Pvt.    49  Bassett  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Champigny    579879    Philias.     Pvt.     23    Tremont    St.,    Central 

Falls,  Rhode  Island. 
Chappell  579880  Raymond  T.     Wag. 

Rhode  Island. 
Chasse  579881  WilUam  O.     Pvt  1st  CI 

Rhode  Island. 
Christen  579882  EmU  E.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

dence,  Rhode  Island. 
Cilurzo  579883  Nicholas.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  31  H.  Arty.  Brigade  Dec. 
Collins  579884  Charles  B.     Pvt.     51  Richardson  St.,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 


Attleboro,  Mass. 
Danvers,  Mass. 


Cherry  Lane,  Wakefield, 

75  Kilburn  St.,  Berkeley, 

181  Burrington  St.,  Provi- 


Roster— Bat.  E  369 

Coman  580466  John  L.     Pvt.     North  Grosvenordale,  Connecticut. 

Nov. 
Cooney  579885  Earl  L.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  55th  Arty.,  May. 
Cooper   579886   Henry.     Pvt.     265   Vermont   Ave.,   Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Corbin  579887  WiUiam  A.     Mech. 

Nov. 
Corcoran  259830  James  J.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  A  Aug. 
Davis  579888  Henry.     Pvt  1st  CI.     127  West  47  St.,  New  York 

City. 
Demont  579889  John.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Dempster  579890  Henry.     Pvt.     201  Main  St.,  Lonsdale,  Rhode 

Island. 
Dennis  579891  George  O.     Pvt.     288  Mendon  Ave.,  Pawtucket, 

Rhode  Island. 
Deosurdy  579892  Joseph.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Derry  579893  Victor  A.     Pvt. 

Commended  in  regimental  orders  Sept.  14.     Wounded  Mont- 
faucon  Oct.  3. 
DeValcourt  579894  George  L.     Sgt.     91  Stockton  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Dickson  316274  Robert  E.     Sgt. 

Sept.  Nov. 

Dillon  579895  Patrick  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     192  Harrison  St.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Injured  Oct.     Dropped  sick  Nov.  10.     Returned. 
DUlon  579897  William.     Pvt  1st  CI.     255  Mount  Hope  St.,  North 

Attleboro,  Mass. 
Dingwell  579896  Frank  F.     Pvt.     96  Stewart  St.,   Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Dion  579898  Louis  P.     Pvt. 

Jan. 
Doherty  579899  Frank  M.     Pvt.     4  Forestdale  Road,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Left  sick  Camp  Merritt.     Rejoined  Bat.  June.      Dropped  sick 
Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
24 


370  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Doherty  579901  Joseph  V.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Dollofif   579900   Frank   B.     Cpl.     30   Crandall   St.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Donahue  579902  John  F.     Pvt.     87  Summer  St.,  Central  Falls, 

Rhode  Island. 
Dorio  579903  Antonio.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Doyle  579904  Edward  G.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Draper  579905  James  L.    Pvt.    65  Joslon  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 
Island. 
Left  sick  Ft.  Standish.     Rejoined  Bat.  Oct. 
Driscoll   579906  William  J.     Pvt.    42  River  St.,   Keene,   New 

Hampshire. 
Duhaine  579907  Alfred  G.     Mech. 
Dunn  579908  Henry  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     56  Hospital  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Dyer  579909  Frank  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.     360  Thurber  Ave.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Dyer  579911  Frederick  L.    Cpl. 

Killed  accident  (hand  grenade)  Dravegny  Sept.  5. 
Eaton  579910  Ralph.     Sgt.     59  Washington  St.,  East  Milton,Mass. 
Edwards  579912  Jay  D.     Pvt.     39  Fort  Ave.,  Pawtuxet,  Rhode 

Island, 
Elowitz  579913  Joseph  J.     Pvt.     12  Jenks  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Engstrom  579914  Rudolph  E.  E.     Pvt.     22  Haswell  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Evans  579915  Albert  D.    Wag. 

Dropped  a.  w.  o.  1.  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Faller  139242  Albert  J.     Cpl. 

May   10.     Transferred  from   147th  F.   Arty.     Transferred  to 
Bat.  A  Aug. 
Farmer  632978  Enoch  K.     Pvt.     Rugby,  Virginia. 

Aug. 
Faulkner  579916  Herbert  S.    Cpl.    25  Hodges  St.,  Attleboro,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  19.    Returned. 
Femberg  579917  Samuel.    Pvt  1st  CI. 
Dropped  sick  Nov.  3. 


Roster— Bat.  E  371 

Finn  579918  James  H.,  Jr.     Cpl.    77  Garden  St.,  Pawtucket, 

Rhode  Island. 
Fleming  579919  Albert.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Foley    579920    Martin.     Pvt.     5    Morse    St.,    Norwood,    Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  20.     Returned. 
Gavin  579921  Joseph  S.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.     Aug. 
George    579922   Steve.     Pvt.     13    Union   St.,    Holliston,    Mass. 
Getler  580469  Joseph  B.     Pvt.     937^  Dwight  St.,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Gilbert  579923  Joseph   H.     Bug.     5   Merritt  Place,   Attleboro, 

Mass. 
Gill  579924  WilUam  F.     Cpl.     322  Valley  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Giowiskey  579925  Anthony.     Pvt. 
Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 
Giraradin  579926  Victor.     Pvt.     55  Union  St.,  Peterboro,  New 

Hampshire. 
Granfrancisco  579927  Joseph.    Pvt.     189  Regent  Ave.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Greenberg  579928  Louis  P.     Pvt. 
Greenhalge   579929  Edward   A.     Pvt   1st   CI.     10   Princess  St., 

Cranston,  Rhode  Island. 
Greenidge  579930  Roland  S.     Pvt.     54  Lee  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Guyer   579931   Henry  L.     Pvt.    73   Ledge   St.,   Central   Falls, 

Rhode  Island. 
Hall  579932  Harry.    Pvt  1st  CI.    3  Sparrow  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Hammond  297051  Coral  M.     Pvt. 

Sept.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.  Oct. 

Hanson  579933  Harry  C.     Pvt.     654  Cranston  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  Apr.  9.     Returned. 
Hart  579934  WilUam  B.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  Bat.  A  Aug. 
Heron  579935  John  E.     Pvt.     322  Plane  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Heywood  579936  Fred  E.    Pvt.    41   Chatham  St.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 


372  The  Fifiy-iifth  Artillery 

HiU  579937  Albert  V.     Cook.     14  Elgin  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Hodgkins  579938  Elmer  E.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Hofacker  581416  Clarence  F.     Sgt.     9  Elm  St.,  South  Portland, 
Maine. 
Oct. 
Houghton  579939  Charles  O.     Cpl.     16  Bullock  St.,  Pawtucket, 

Rhode  Island. 
Howard  579940  Harry  W.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  10. 
Howatt  579941  James  W.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  4.     Returned. 
Howley  579942  Joseph  L.    Pvt.    428  Parker  St.,  Newton  Center, 

Mass. 
Hughes  579401  Charles  E.     Pvt.     24  McKinley  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 

July.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.,  55th. 
Huston   579943   George   H.,   Jr.     Sgt.     Ill    Summit   St.,    East 

Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Hutton  579944  Hallie  J.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  31st  H.  Arty.  Brigade  Sept. 
Jacobs  579945  Earle  E.     Cpl.    44  Hodge  St.,  Attleboro,  Mass. 
Johnson  579946  Louis.     Cpl.     31  North  Federal  St.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
Jozok  579947  Felix.     Pvt.     260  Oak  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Kelley  579948  Everett  V.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  31st  H.  Arty.  Brigade  June. 
Kelly  579950  Thomas  F.    Pvt.     10  Evelyn  St.,  Central  Falls, 

Rhode  Island. 
Knowlton  579949  Merle  G.    Pvt. 

Krasnor  579951  Abraham  E.    Pvt  1st  CI.    20  Poplar  St.,  Boston, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  "Cretic"  Jan.  22. 
Kurkowski  579952  Joseph.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  24. 
LaChance  579953  Joseph  A.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Wounded. 
LaRose  579955  Ralph  K.     Sgt.     19  Orchard  Terrace,  Arlington, 

Mass. 
Latulippe   579956  Joseph.    Wag.     116   Concord   St.,   Lawrence, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  E  373 

Lavin  579957  George  P.     Pvt.     8  Lawn  St.,  Roslindale,  Mass. 
Leach   579958   Arthur   E.     Sgt.     257   Potter   Ave.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Leblanc  579959  WiUiam.    Pvt. 

Injured  but  not  evacuated.  Nov. 

Lessard  579960  Albert.     Pvt. 

Left  sick  Ft  Standish.     Rejoined  Bat.  Oct. 
Lessard  579962  Harry  F.     Pvt.     20  Florence  St.,  Attleboro,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  19.     Returned. 
Lester  579963  Clarence  J.     Pvt. 
Levesque   579961  Alfred  C.     Pvt.     129  Pontiac  Ave.,  Auburn, 

Rhode  Island. 
Lmdsey  579964  George  E.    Pvt.     19  Wheeler  Ave.,  Medford, 

Mass. 
Loring  578342  Harris  E.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  June. 
Lucey  579965  Daniel  P.    Pvt.     108  Maple  St.,  Melrose,  Mass. 
Luther  579966  Raymond  A.     Pvt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Hope,  Rhode 

Island. 
Lynch  579967  Edward  F.     Pvt.     33  Webster  Ave.,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Mable  579968  Herbert  F.     Pvt.     10  Borley  St.,  St.  Albans,  Ver- 
mont. 
Left  sick  Camp  Merritt.     Rejoined  Bat.  Dec. 
Maclnnes    579979   Murdock   H.     Cpl.     1341    Westminster   St., 

Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Maguure  580472  Joseph  H.     Pvt. 

Nov.     Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Maier    579970   Francis   P.     Pvt.     307   Lamartine   St.,    Jamaica 

Plain,  Mass. 
Maille    579969   Ukic   A.     Pvt.    211    Hanover   St.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Malstrom  579971  Emil  A.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Manchester  579973  Francis  S.     Cpl.    22  West  St.,  Attleboro, 

Mass. 
Marchetti    579974   Francis    E.    Pvt.    23    EUiot    St.,    Medford, 

Mass. 
Mauro  579972  Pellegrino.     Pvt.     1  Clinton  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
McCarthy  579975  Edward  V.    Cpl.    33  Library  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 


374  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

McCloud  579976  John  J.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  6. 
McConnell  579977  Edward.    Pvt.    161  Main  St.,  Lonsdale,  Rhode 

Island. 
McCormick  579978  Michael  F.    Cook.    P.  O.  Box  169,  Pascoag, 

Rhode  Island. 
McDonough  577629  Michael  J.     Cpl.    97  Hunniman  St.,  Rox- 
bury,  Mass. 
Nov. 
Mcintosh  579980  William  S.     Cpl.    4  Elizabeth  St.,  Newport, 

Rhode  Island. 
McKenna  579981  Laurence  S.    Pvt  1st  CI.    48  Myrtle  St.,  Paw- 
tucket,  Rhode  Island. 
McLaren  579984  Ralph  G.     Pvt.     158  Maple  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 
McLaughlin  579982  Augustus  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.     173  Greenville  Ave., 

Manton,  Rhode  Island. 
McLeod  578366  William  M.     Wag.     108  Rhinecliff  St.,  Arhngton 

Heights,  Mass. 
McNally  579983  WiUiam  J.     Cpl.    37  High  St.,  Wakefield,  Rhode 

Island. 
McVetty  579985  John.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Meeker    139836    Loren    A.    Wag.    Brookings,   South   Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Mejstrik  139838  Charles  W.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Tyndall,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Melin  579986  Ernest  W.    Wag.     1  Blodgett  Place,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Melquist  579987  John.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
Meredith  579988  Paul  W.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  28. 
Meyer  579989  Frank  H.     1st  Sgt.     17  High  St.,  North  Attleboro, 

Mass. 
Miller    139842   Dave.    Pvt   1st   CI.    Viborg,   South   Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Miller  579990  Perley  W.    Pvt  1st  CI.    58  Freeman  St.,  North 

Attleboro,  Mass. 
Milot  580401  Wilfred  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish,  May  16. 


Roster— Bat  E  375 

Mongeon  579991  Ulric.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Greenwood  Park,  North 

Westport,  Mass. 
Morency  579992  Aram  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept. 
MorreU  579993  WUlardB.  Pvt.  Old  Sudbury  Road,  Wayland,  Mass. 
Morris  579994  Manuel.     Pvt  1st  CI.     98  Mossford  Ave.,  East 

Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Moscardini  579995  Silvio.     Pvt.     12  Glenn  St.,  Somerville,  Mass. 
Mullins  579996  James  E.     Pvt.    4  Dames  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Murphy  579997  James  P.     Pvt.     160  Walnut  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Murray  579998  John  A.     Cpl.     Prairie  Ave.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Myrick  579999  Herbert  W.     Pvt  1st  CL     169  Lester  St.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Nelson  580000  Oscar  R.    Pvt  1st  CI.    27  Cottage  St.,  Hillsgrove, 

Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  Sept.  8.     Returned. 
Oates  580001  Andrew  F.     Wag.     981  Chalkstone  Ave.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
O'Brien  580002  Edward  P.     Pvt.     159  Hancock  St.,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Left  sick  Ft.  Standish.     Rejoined  Bat.  Dec. 
Owens  580003  James  T.  A.     Cpl.    98  Coburg  St.,  St.  John,  New 

Brunswick,  Canada. 
Owens  580365  WiUiam  T.     Pvt  1st  CI. 
Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Parsons  580004  Norman  C.     Pvt.     89  Chestnut  St.,  Everett,  Mass. 
Parsons  580006  Raymond  S.     Pvt.     116  High  St.,  Newburyport, 

Mass. 
Patnaude  580005  Raymond  J.    Pvt.    75  Coral  St.,  Haverhill,  Mass. 
Payne   580007   Sylvester   S.    Pvt.    Providence,    Rhode   Island. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  6.     Died. 
Peck  580008  Adelbert  M.    Pvt  1st  CI.    R.  F.  D.  No.  208,  North 

Swansea,  Mass. 
Pepper  580009  Jesse.    Pvt  1st  CI.    23  John  St.,  Thornton,  Rhode 

Island. 
Perillo  580010  Alexander.    Pvt.     1  Clinton  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Perkins  580011  Harry  W.     Pvt. 
Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 


376  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Peterson  580012  Edgar  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     2159  Broad  St.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 
PhilHps  580013  Charles  R.    Sgt. 

Transferred  to  Ordnance  Dept.,  July. 
Pinnington  580014  Edward  F.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Liverpool  May  16. 
Place  580015  William.     Wag.     37  Laban  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Porter  580016  Charles  L.     Mech.     3  Cross  St.,  Northbridge,  Mass. 
Postle    580017    Wilfred.     Bug.     56    Thomas    Ave.,    Pawtucket, 

Rhode  Island. 
Potter  580018  Earle  C.     Wag.     Wakefield,   Rhode  Island. 
Powers  580019  Harold  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     548  Broadway,  Pawtucket, 

Rhode  Island. 
Price  580020  Clarence  E.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  0.  &  T.  Cen.  No.  3  July. 
Prohaska  580021  Robert  J.    Wag. 
Queirolo  139865  John.     Pvt.     1819  Mason  St.,  San  Francisco, 

California. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Ray   580022   Malcolm   A.     Cpl.     12   Mulberry   St.,   Pawtucket, 

Rhode  Island. 
Reed  580023  Charles  E.    Pvt  1st  CI.    49  Hoyt  St.,  St.  Albans, 

Vermont. 
Riback  580025  Philip.     Sgt.     87  Lippitt  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Richard  580024  Elphege  J.     Pvt.     104  Walnut  St.,  Central  Falls, 

Rhode  Island. 
Robertson  580026  Frederick.    Pvt  1st  CI.    330  Mt.  Hope  St., 

Attleboro  Falls,  Mass. 
Rounds  580027  Emory  A.     Wag.    49  West  St.,  Attleboro,  Mass. 
Russo  580028  Antonio.     Sgt.     3  Spruce  St.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Sampson  580029  Walter  F.     Pvt.     60  Austin  St.,  Fisherville,  Mass. 
Sanders    139877    Charles    R.     Pvt.     Post    Falls,    Idaho. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Santamaria  580030  Patrick.    Pvt.    2  Stowers  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 
Sargent  139329  William  D.     Sgt.     Lagrande,  Oregon. 
May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 


Roster— Bat.  E  377 

Savaria  580031  Elie.     Pvt.     194  Douglas  Ave.,  Providence,  Rhode 

Island. 
Schuetz  581128  Martiii  M.     Cpl.     Morton  Grove,  Illinois. 

July.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Schultz  580032  Ernest  M.     Pvt. 

Dec. 
Sedgwick    580033   Francis   E.    Sgt.     22    Gushing   Lane,    North 
Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  Aug.  14.     Returned. 
Shaw   580034   Albert   H.     Pvt   1st   Gl.     Glasgow,    Gonnecticut. 
Shedd  580035  Whitten  D.     Pvt. 

Dropped  wounded  by  tractor  Gourville  Aug.  22. 
Shepard  580036  Roscoe  N.     Gpl.     309  Bucklin  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Sherman  580037  Milton  O.     Wag.    477  Public  St.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island, 
Smith  580038  Edward  C.     Mess  Sgt.     5  Walls  Place,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  S.  S.  "Gretic"  Jan.  22. 
Smith  580040  Harold  W.     Pvt  1st  Gl.     28  Selkirk  Road,  Edge- 
wood,  Rhode  Island. 
Solomon  580039  Louis.     Pvt.     7  Intervale  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Spooner  580041  Ray  A.     Supply  Sgt.     17  Tweed  St.,  Pawtucket, 
Rhode  Island. 
Dropped  sick  May  1.     Returned. 
Srstka  139885  Steven  J.     Pvt  1st  GL     Tyndall,  South  Dakota. 

May  10.     Transferred  from  147th  F.  Arty. 
Stine  470535  Glenn  P.     Sgt.     5359  North  St.,  Omaha,  Nebraska. 

Dec. 
St.  Lawrence  580042  George  H.     Pvt.     33  North  St.,  Glaremont, 

New  Hampshire. 
Story  580043  Samuel.     Pvt.     Essex,  Mass. 
Story  580045  William  J.     Pvt  1st  Gl.     Gare  of  Ropes  Drug  Store, 

Salem,  Mass. 
Swain  581134  Pat  D.  Gpl.  606  Gollege  St.,  Birmingham,  Alabama. 

July.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Taranto  580044  Angelo.     Pvt.    42  Spruce  St.,  Waltham,  Mass. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Thompson  580046  William  E.     Pvt.     16  Kent  Ave.,  East  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 


378  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Thomson  580048  James,  Jr.     Pvt.     71  Pleasant  St.,  North  An- 

dover,  Mass. 
Thornton  580047  Everett  L.     Wag.     771  Chalkstone  Ave.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Wounded  Dravegny  Aug.  22. 
Tougas  580049  Alcide  L.  P.     Cpl. 

Dropped  wounded  anti-aircraft  projectile  Dravegny  Sept.  3. 
Tracy  580050  John  P.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  14. 
TraiU  580051  Alexander,  Jr.     Wag.     804  Westminster  St.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Truell  580052  Albert  E.     Cook.     20  Tappan  Ave.,  Attleboro,  Mass. 
Vadnais  580053  Henry  H.     Cpl.     53  SterHng  Ave.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Viall  580054  WilUam  K.     Pvt  1st  CI. 
Vickers  580055  James  W.     Pvt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  3^  Long  Pond  Road, 

Lowell,  Mass. 
Vickers  580057  Thomas  W.     Pvt.    R.  F.  D.  No.  3,  Long  Pond 

Road,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Vinnicum  580056  George  K.     Wag.     Swansea,  Mass. 
Wachschlager  580058  Harold.     Wag.     318  Friendship  St.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Wahl   580059   Arthur   C.     Pvt   1st   CI.     East   Greenwich   Ave., 

Compton,  Rhode  Island. 
Webster   580060   William   S.    Pvt    1st   CI.    Matunick,    Rhode 

Island. 
Weeman  580061  Clarence  E.    Wag.    507  Newport  Ave.,  South 

Attleboro,  Mass. 
Weinstein  580062  Samuel.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours,  Dec.  11. 
Welch  580063  Edward  A.     Pvt.     44  Mechanic  St.,  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Wells  580064  Blake  C.     Pvt.     R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Canton,  North 

Carolina. 
Whalen  580065  Raymond  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     22  Bourne  St.,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island. 
Wheatley  580066  Christopher  L.    Pvt  1st  CI.     21   Dexter  St., 
Lonsdale,  Rhode  Island. 
Left  sick  Ft.  Standish.     Rejoined  Bat.  Oct. 
Whooten  580068  Earl  M.    Pvt. 
Dropped  injured  Dravegny  Sept.  1. 


Rosters-Bat,  E  379 

Whitehead  580067  George  S.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Standish  May  16. 
WiU  580069  Raymond.     Pvt.     1214  West  St.,  Utica,  New  York. 
Williams  580070  Joseph  P.     Wag. 

Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 
Wilson  580071  Thomas  E.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  B,  July. 
Woodfall  580072  Stanley  V.     Pvt  1st  CI.     86  Kirtland  St.,  Lynn, 

Mass. 
Woolhouse  580073  William  H.    Sgt. 

Died  result  accident  (run  over  by  limber,  Sept.  13)  Epernay 
Sept.  15. 
Wright  580074  John  L.     Pvt.     52  Chapman  St.,  Putnam,  Con- 
necticut. 
Young    580075    Everett    F.     Sgt.     722    Eddy    St.,    Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Zanni  580076  Michael.     Pvt.     520  South  Union  St.,  Lawrence, 
Mass. 


Commanding  Officers,  Bat.  F 

James  C.  Bates,  Apr.  18,  '18  -  May  '18. 
Edward  A.  Kircher,  Dec.  15,  '17- Apr.  18,  '18. 
Reginald  Poland,  May,  '18  -  July  8,  '18. 
Chester  E.  Dodge,  July  8,  '18  -  Nov.  4,  '18. 
George  Blaney,  Nov.  4,  '18  -  Nov.  10,  '18. 
James  C.  Bates,  Nov.  10,  '18 -Dec.  19,  '18. 
Arthur  W.  Vickers,  Dec.  19,  '18  - 

Abrahams  259834  Morris.    Pvt. 

May. 
Adams  579293  Clayton  B.    Wag.    306  Washington  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Adams  579295  John  W.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  20. 
Albiani  579294  Alfred  A.     Pvt.     147  Train  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
AUen  579296  Arthur  W.    Pvt.    340  Prospect  St.,  Norwood,  Mass. 
Aliens  269851  Emil.    Pvt. 

May. 
Andrews  579298  Harold  J.    Pvt.    4  Sherbrook  Ave.,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Nov. 
Andrews  579300  Herbert  C.    Wag.    4  Sherbrook  Ave.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Athridge  579297  Alexander  D.    Cpl.    52  Elmwood  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Sept.  3.     Returned. 
Athridge  579299  Thomas  P.    Cpl.    52  Elmwood  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Baker  579304  Leland  M.     Cpl.     56  Chatham  Road,  Everett,  Mass. 
Banks  579301  Frank  E.     Pvt.     858  Broadway,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Barrett  579302  Leo  J.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.     June. 
Bartlett  579303  Frank  C.    Pvt  1st  CI.    38  Francis  St.,  Everett, 

Mass. 
Bauer  579308  Carl  A.    Sgt.     135  Massachusetts  Ave.,  Arlington, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat,  F  381 

Bennett  579306  Arthur  L.    Cook.    5  Lisbon  St.,  Worcester,  Mass. 
Bent  579305  John  E.,  Jr.     Pvt  1st  CI.     95  Beacon  St.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Birgholtz  259823  Rudolph.     Pvt. 

May.     Dropped  sick  Oct.  15. 
Boswell  259817  James  M.     Pvt.     Reeves,  Missouri. 

May.     Dropped  sick  at  Brest  Jan. 
Boucher  297034  George  H.     Pvt. 

Apr.   22,     From   119th  F.   Arty.     Transferred  to  Ord.   Dept. 

June. 
BouthiUier  580398  Arthur  I.     Pvt.     13  Henry  St.,  Southbridge, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  15.     Returned. 
Bradshaw  579307  Lawrence  C.    Wag.    33  Quincy  St.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Brengard  2308816  Joseph  V.     Pvt.     181  East  18  St.,  Paterson, 
New  Jersey. 

May. 
Burgess  579309  Clarence  C.     Cpl.    318  Lynn  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  25.     Returned. 
Burgess  579311  Merle  W.     Cpl. 

Dropped  sick,  Aug.  14. 
Burgess  579313  Raymond  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     318  Lynn  St.,  Maiden, 

Mass. 
Burke  579310  WiUiam  H.     Wag. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  10. 
Callahan  579314  Joseph  J.     Sgt.     15  Oakley  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Campbell    579312    Robert    G.     Pvt.     194    Whiting    Ave.,    East 

Dedham,  Mass. 
Canfield  297013  Harry  E.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Apr.  22.    Transferred  from  119th  Art.     Transferred  to  O.  &  T. 

Center  No.  3  June. 
Canty  579315  D.  Chester.     Pvt  1st  CI.     359  Princeton  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Carchia    579316    Michael.     Pvt.     14    Pitts    St.,    Boston,    Mass. 
Carey  579317  Walter  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     109  Vernon  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Cerrone  579318  Euplio.     Pvt. 

Wounded  Beaufort  Nov.  8.     Died  Nouart  Nov.  10. 


382  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Champi  579319  William.     Pvt  1st  CI.     759  Cambridge  St.,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 
Chandler  579320  Charles  L.    Wag.    99  Winslow  St.,  Everett, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  at  Brest. 
Clark  579322  Ralph  B.     Cpl.     173  Bucknam  St.,  Everett,  Mass. 
Clay  579327  Benjamin  W.    Pvt. 

Nov. 
Colometo  579329  Charles.    Pvt  1st  CI.     12  Heath  St.,  Everett, 
Mass. 
Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Connors  579330  Joseph  D.    Cook.     185  I  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  June  5.     Returned. 
Cooney  579324  Patrick  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     30  Salutaimon  St.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Cooper  579323  Leonard  P.    Wag.    75  High  St.,  Charlestown, 

Mass. 
Corkhum  579331  Linsay  A.    Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.     June. 
Coulp  579325  Clarence  W.    Cpl.    50  Neptune  Ave.,  East  Boston, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Apr.  4.     Returned. 
Courtright  297038  Gale  R.     Pvt. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Art.  Dec. 

Cox  579326  George  H.,  Jr.    Pvt  1st  CI.     1  Chestnut  St.,  Waverly, 

Mass. 
Cox  578328  Raymond  W.    Pvt.     1  Chestnut  St.,  Waverly,  Mass. 
Craig  579332  Charles  W.    Wag.    267  Cottage  Ave.,  West  Rox- 

bury,  Mass. 
Crocker  579333  Herbert  M.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  6. 
Crowley  579334  Tunothy  J.    Pvt.    34  High  St.,  Newton  Upper 
Falls,  Mass. 
Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.     Tours.     Dec.  14. 
Cummings  579335  George  W.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Cunningham  579336  Eugene  F.    Sgt.    3  St.  James  Place,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Cusack  579337  James  C.   Pvt  Ist  CI.  28  Portsmouth  St.,  Brighton, 
Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  F  383 

Daigle  579338  Thomas  J.     Pvt.     26  Manchester  St.,  Fall  River, 
Mass. 
In  HQ.  Co.  June  —  July. 
Daley  579341  John  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     476  East  Fourth  St.,  South 

Boston,  Mass. 
Daly  579339  Walker  W.     Sgt.     19  Orkney  Road,  Brookline,  Mass. 
Davies   579340  David  J.     Pvt   1st   CI.    476   East   Fourth   St., 

South  Boston,  Mass. 
Delisle  580403  Leonel  G.     Pvt.     168  East  Dwight  St.,  Holyoke, 

Mass. 
Desjardins  579342  Lucien  O.    Wag.     151  Lowell  St.,  Fall  River, 

Mass. 
DeVito  579344  Perry.     Pvt.     13  Marion  St.,  Charlestown,  Mass. 
Devonshire  579352  George  L.     Cpl.    49  Bowdoin  St.,  Dorchester, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Sept.  6.     Returned. 
Donnelly  579345  Michael  A.     Cpl.     1  Regent  Sq.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Donovan  579346  William  P.     Pvt.     691  Washington  St.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 
Doyle  579347  George  J.     Pvt.     80  Hinckley  St.,  Somerville,  Mass. 

In  HQ.  Co.  June  and  July. 
Doyle   581518  Irving  F.     Cpl.     6   Walden  Ave.,   Old   Orchard, 
Maine. 
Oct. 
DriscoU  579348  John  C,  Jr.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
DuBreuil  579350  Valmore  G.     Pvt.     81  Fisher  St.,  Lowell,  Mass. 
Dudley  579351  Bela  A.     Pvt. 

Duggan  579353  Bert  M.     Cpl.    45  Edison  Green,   Dorchester, 
Mass. 
Jan.     Transferred  himself  back  from  119th  F.  Arty.,  Bat.  F. 
Dumermuth  140313  Earl  A.     Sgt.     Elgin,  Iowa. 

May. 
Dunphy  579354  George  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     313  Dudley  St.,  Rox- 
bury, Mass. 
Dustin  579355  George  F.    Pvt.     133  Cypress  St.,  Brookline,  Mass. 

May. 
Dworman  297046  Irving  B.     Pvt.     239   Delmar  Ave.,   Detroit, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 


384  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Edmester  579356  Earle  C.     Pvt.     23  Beacon  St.,  Everett,  Mass. 
Ehrenholm  579357  George  E.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Oct. 
Emend  579358  Leo  J.    Pvt.     177  Nashua  St.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 
Evans  579360  Harrison  M.     Sgt.     55  Woodrow  Ave.,  Medford, 

Mass. 
FarweU  579361  Lawrence  W.     Cpl.     145  Allston  St.,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Feeney  579362  Charles  J.     Wag.     54  Dent  St.,  West  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Ferris  579363  John  F.  W.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Ferson  579364  Edward  J.     Pvt.     470  Lagrange  St . ,  West  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Dropped   sick   Apr.    14.     Returned.     Died    at   Brest    Jan.    2. 
Fife   579365  John  F.     Pvt.     181   W.  Ninth  St.,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Final  297049  George  A.     Pvt.     500  Burn  St.,  Marinette,  Wiscon- 
sin. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Fitzgerald    579366   WiUiam   J.     Pvt.     12    Holmes    St.,    Allston, 

Mass. 
Fletcher  579367  Raymond.     Wag.     735  Potter  Ave.,  Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Fletcher  579369  Vivian  A.     Cpl.  246  North  Main  St.,  Concord, 

New  Hampshire. 
Fone  579368  William  A.    Mech.    74  Camden  St.,  Methuen,  Mass. 
Ford  296978  Floyd.    Pvt. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.     Transferred  to  0. 
&  T.  Center  No.  3  July. 
Forkey  579371  Herbert  E.    Pvt  1st  CI.     101  Piedmont  St.,  Wor- 
cester, Mass. 
Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Forte  579372  Frank  J.     Pvt.     5  Rowen  Court,  Jamaica  Plain, 

Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Apr.  13.     Returned. 
Foskett  579373  Ralph  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.   28  Converse  St.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Frassica  579374  Matthew  J.     Pvt.     175  Leyden  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  F  385 

French  579375  Warren  R.     Pvt.     397  Lynn  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 

Dropped    sick    Passy-sur-Marne    Aug.    16.     Returned. 
Gaffney  579376  John  J.     Pvt.     7  Sylvia  St.,  Jamaica  Plain,  Mass. 
Gardner  579377  Joseph  D.     Cpl. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  17. 
Garity  579378  John  E.     Pvt.     7  Pleasant  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Gavin  579379  Walter  A.     Pvt.     23  Adams  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 

Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C,  Dec.  14.     Left  at  Tours. 
Gerke  579380  Henry  F.,  Jr.     Pvt.     11  Clapp  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 

Ordnance  Dept.  June -Oct.    Dropped  sick  July  27.    Returned. 

Deserted    at   Brest,    Jan.     Arrested   Norfolk,    Virginia,    Mch. 
Germonprez  579381  Albert  G.     Wag.     25  Merida  Ave.,    Woon- 

socket,  Rhode  Island. 
Gietzen  297050  Albert  N.    Pvt.  R.  F.  D.  No  1,  Mohne,  Michigan. 

Apr.  22.    From  119th  F.  Art. 
Gillis  579382  Chester  A.    Pvt  1st  CI.    280  Laurel  St.,  Manchester, 

New  Hampshire. 
Giovennella    579383    Martin   J.    Wag.     102    West    Cedar    St., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Goeppner  579384  Frederick  G.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  22.     Returned.     Again  Nov.  14. 
Gould  579388  Albert  F.     Pvt.     124  Glenway  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Gould  579386  Ehner  C.     Cpl.     87  Maple  St.,  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  at  Romsey,  Eng.,  Apr.  4.     Returned.   Again  Nov. 

14. 
Grant  579389  Robert.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  June. 
Gross  579387  Henry  H.    Wag. 

Dropped  at  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Hadley  579390  Edward  A.     Cook. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  16. 
Halpin  580438  John  N.     Wag.     R.  F.  D.  No.  1,  Southbridge, 

Mass. 
Hammond  297051  Coral  M.    Pvt. 

Apr.  22  from  119th  F.  Arty.     Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  June. 
Harrington  579391  Edmund  M.     Pvt.     933  Adams  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Hellen  579393  George  D.     Pvt.     113  B  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 
Hennessey  579394  Frank.     Pvt.     1534  Dorchester  Ave.,  Dorches- 
ter, Mass. 
25 


386  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Henry  579395  Manuel.     Pvt  1st  CI.     6  Reeds  St.,  Box  41,  Burrage, 

Mass. 
Higgins  579396  Thomas  F.     Wag.     15  Langdon  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Holden  579397  Samuel  L.     Sgt.     138  March  St.,  Neponset,  Mass. 
Homer  579398  Allie  A.     Wag.  Dec. 

Dropped  at  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Housman  579399  Hyman.     Pvt.     75  Savin  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Hubbard  579400  Edward  A.    Cpl. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  C.  Oct. 

Hughes  579401  Charles  E.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  55th,  June. 
Hurley  579404  Leo  J.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  4.    Returned. 
Hyde  579403  Louis  R.     Mech.     51  Ashland  St.,  RosHndale,  Mass. 
Jellison  579406  Charles  M.     Pvt.     504  East  Seventh  St.,  South 
Boston,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  at  Brest  Jan. 
Jellison  579408  Louis  L.    Pvt.    705  Seventh  St.,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Johnston  296961  Clifton  F.     Pvt. 

Apr.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.     Transferred  to  Ord- 
nance Dept.  June. 
Jordan  579409  Fred  A.     Sgt.     180  Lockwood  St.,   Providence, 

Rhode  Island. 
Jouannett  579407  Paul  C.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  Aug. 
Kairit  579410  John  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     7  Mill  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Kelley  579411  John  J.     Sgt.     33  Dudley  St.,  North  Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  10.     Returned. 
Kelley  579413  Russell.     Pvt.     10  Leland  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Kepner    1243346    Lethra    B.     Pvt.    405    York    St.,    Pottstown, 
Pennsylvania. 

Nov.     Transferred  himself  from  111th  Inf. 
Kmdschy  296980  Arthur  F.     Pvt.     330  Main  St.,  Arcadia,  Wis- 
consin. 

Apr.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
King  579412  Martin  J.     Pvt.     144  B  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  F  387 

Lambert    579414    Henry.     Cook.     12    Foster    St.,    Southbridge, 

Mass. 
Larrabee  579415  Percy  B.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Stratham,  New  Hamp- 
shire. 
Larsen  579416  Thomas  N.    Pvt.     186  Washington  St.,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Lee  579418  John  H.     Mech.     71  West  Sixth  St.,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Lennon  577714  Edward  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     3  Albion  St.,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Levenbaum  579417  Harry.     Wag.     248  Park  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Levesque  579419  Albert  J.     Pvt.     147  Nashua  St.,  Fall  River, 

Mass. 
Little  579420  Albert  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     303  Fuller  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Lowman    297059    Charles    J.     Pvt    1st    CI.     Cynthiana,    Ohio. 
Apr.  22.     From  119th  F.  Arty.     Dropped  sick  Aug.  17.     Re- 
turned. 
Lucier  579421  Eugene  A.     Pvt.     16  Altamont  St.,  Haverhill,  Mass. 
Lynch  579422  Daniel  E.     Pvt. 

Died  run  over  by  gun  Beaumont  July  11. 
Lyons  579423  John  W.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  May  16. 
Mahoney  579426  Cornelius  A.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  (pneumonia)  Havre  Apr.  9.     Returned  to  U.  S. 
Maloney  579427  Eugene  C.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  C.     No.  3  July. 
Maloney  579425  Thomas  F.     Sgt.     943  Chestnut  St.,  Newton 

Upper  Falls,  Mass. 
Manning  579428  Joseph  J.     Cpl.     121   School  St.,  Watertown, 

Mass. 
Manning  579430  Leo  F.     Pvt.     121  School  St.,  Watertown,  Mass. 
Manning  578625  Patrick  J.     Pvt.     160  Ward  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

Nov. 
Martin  579431  Harold  G.  Pvt.  357  Ashland  St.,  Roslindale,  Mass. 

Sick  at  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Martin  579429  Henry  A.     Sgt.     8  Peverall  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Mattson  580490  OUie  E.     Pvt.     28  Hermitage  Lane,  Worcester, 
Mass. 
Nov. 


388  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

McCarthy  579433  Charles  F.    Wag.    82  Baldwin  St.,  Charlestown, 
Mass. 

McCluskey   579434   Charles   E.    Pvt   1st   CI.     72   Palmer   St., 
Roxbury,  Mass. 

McCoy  579436  Frank  T.     Pvt.     34  Gardner  St.,  Allston,  Mass. 

MacDonald  579424  Gordon  C.    Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 

McDonald  475039  James  M.     Cpl.     949  Belden  Ave.,  Chicago, 
Illinois. 

McDonough   579437  Martin  J.    Pvt.    129  B  St.,  South  Boston, 
Mass. 

McDonough  579439  Myles  J.    Pvt. 
Dropped  sick  Nov.  10. 

McDonough  579441  Thomas  F.    Pvt.    206  F  St.,  South  Boston, 
Mass. 

McGarry   579438  Peter  J.     Pvt   1st  CI.     671   Canterbury  St., 
Roslindale,  Mass. 

McGuire  579440  Arthur  W.     Pvt.     35  Blackstone  St.,  Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Mclsaac   579444  Francis  C.    Pvt   1st  CI.     18  Pope  St.,   East 
Boston,  Mass. 

Mclsaac  579442  John  R.     1st  Sgt.     18  Pope  St.,  East  Boston, 
Mass. 

McKenna  579443  Thomas  F.    Pvt.    33  Bradbury  St.,  Allston, 
Mass. 

McKenney  579445  Edward  J.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 

McKinney  579446  John  J.     Pvt.     16  Litchfield  St.,  Brighton, 
Mass. 

McManus  579448  Charles  P.     Cpl.    69  Linden  Park  St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 

McNeil  579447  Francis  D.    Pvt  1st  CI.     15  Blanche  St.,  Dorches- 
ter, Mass. 

McNeil  579449  William.    Bug.    517  East  8th  St.,  South  Boston, 
Mass. 

McNeil  579452  William  M.     Pvt  1st  CI.     15  Blanche  St.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 

McNutt  579450  James  A.     Sgt.    487  East  Third  St.,  South  Bos- 
ton, Mass. 

Mellyn  579451  John  L.  Pvt.   10  Longmeadow  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 


Roster— Bat.  F  389 

Mills  579453  WiUiam  M.     Pvt.     31  Varnum  St.,  Arlington,  Mass. 
Minnick   579454   George   E.     Pvt    1st   CI.     100   Arlington   St., 
Hyde  Park,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan. 
Monette  579455  Edmund  E.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Railway  Engs.     Apr.  30. 
Moody   579456   Nathaniel   G.     Pvt.     18   Walcott  St.,   Maiden, 

Mass. 
Moran  579457  Joseph  J.     Sgt.     149  Metropolitan  Ave.,  Roslin- 

dale,  Mass. 
Mosher  579458  Henry  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     39  Richards  St.,  Worces- 
ter, Mass. 
Mulvaney  579460  Francis  M.     Pvt.     9  Everett  Sq.,  Allston,  Mass. 
Nichols  297309  Arthur  E.     Pvt   1st  CI.     Mason,   Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Nolan  579461  John  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     64  Empire  St.,  Allston,Mass. 
Noonan  579462  Harold.    Wag. 

Dropped   sick   Apr.    14.     Returned.     Dropped    sick   Sept.    4. 
Norriss  579464  Bradford  F.     Wag. 

Dropped  sick  at  Ft.  Strong  May  16. 
Nowell  579463  Charles  H.     Cpl.     58  Clifford  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  4.     Returned.     Again  Sept.  18.     Returned. 
Nute  583307  Marshall  E.     Cpl. 

Oct.  Dropped  sick  Nov.  11. 

O'Connell  579466  Charles  H.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
O'Connor  579465  Arthur  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     25  Eutaw  St.,  Lawrence, 

Mass. 
O'Donoghue  579467  Edward  F.     Sgt.     103  Kimball  Ave.,  Revere, 

■  Mass. 
O'Neil  579470  Cornelius  J.     Pvt.     20  Oak  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
O'Neill   579472  John  H.     Pvt.     24   Houghton  St.,   Somerville, 

Mass. 
Paul  579469  Edwin  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     63  Beach  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 
Pelletier  579473  Arthur  J.     Cpl.     113  Antrim  St.,  Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Oct.  2.     Returned.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with 

Regiment. 
Pinkham  579474  Eugene.     Cpl.     64  Judson  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 
Pirri  579475  Thomas.    Pvt.    205  Ninth  St.,  South  Boston,  Mass. 


390  The  Fifty-fifih  Artillery 

Pool  579476  Frank.    Pvt. 

Transferred  to  O.  &  T.  Center  No.  3  June. 
Poole  579478  John  S.     Wag.     14  Fairmont  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Potter  579477  Charles  W.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Nov. 
Powell  297062  Emerson  B.     Wag.     R.  F.  D.  No.  8,  Eaton  Rapids, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     From  119th  F.  Arty. 
PurceU  579480  John.     Pvt.     School  St.,  Randolph,  Mass. 
Putnam   579481   Emmons   W.     Pvt    1st   CI.     99   Downing   St., 
Worcester,  Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Apr.  12.     Returned.     Dropped  wounded  Nov.  10. 
Returned  to  U.  S.    (Wound  received  Sept.  22.) 
Raleigh  579482  John  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.     829  Beacon  St.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Rasch  579483  Frederick  V.     Pvt.     21  German  St.,  West  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Reilly  579484  John  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick   May  25.     Returned.     Dropped   sick  Aug.   28. 
Rich   297063  John  W.     Wag.     1013   West   Ionia  St.,   Lansing, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Roberto  579485  Frank  P.     Pvt  1st  CI.     12  Norman  St.,  Boston, 

Mass. 
Robertson  579486  William  C.    Wag.    85  Mountain  St.,  Dorches- 
ter, Mass. 
Robinson  579487  Thomas  W.     Bug.     6  Winthrop  Place,  Roxbury, 

Mass. 
Roebuck  579488  Warren  R.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  June. 
Rose  579489  Royal  S.    Pvt  1st  CI.     13  Rowland  St.,  Cambridge, 
Mass. 
Mail  Orderly. 
Roulet  579491   William.     Bug.     140  Leyden  St.,   East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Rowe  579490  John  T.     Mech.     35  Tiverton  Road,  Dorchester, 
Mass. 
Dropped  sick  at  Brest  Jan.     Returned  to  U.  S.  two  weeks  later. 
Rushton  579492  Frank  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.    683  East  Fifth  St.,  South 
Boston,  Mass. 


Roster— Bat  F  391 

Russo  579493  Eugenio.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.     Oct. 
Ryan  579496  James  J.      Pvt.     27  Richardson  St.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Ryan  579494  PhUip  J.     Cpl.     42  North  Harvard  St.,  AUston, 

Mass. 
Ryan  579498  William  J.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  11. 
Sampson  297971  Floyd  R.     Pvt.     2620  Armour  St.,  Port  Huron, 
Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Savage  579497  Albert  H.     Sgt. 

Transferred  to  Supply  Co.  55th  Arty.  Aug. 
Savage  579495  Leighton.     Pvt  1st  CI.     89  Sagamore  Ave.,  Chel- 
sea, Mass. 
Scofield    296983    Smith    J.     Wag.     Cherry    Creek,    New    York. 

Apr.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.     Dropped  sick  Nov.  3. 

Returned. 
Scott  579500  Frank  J.     Pvt.     536  East  Seventh  St.,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Seavey  579501  Paul.     Wag. 

Dropped  at  Camp  Merritt  May. 
Sexton  579502  Albert  W.     Cpl.     38  Clarence  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Shea  579503  Francis  W.     Cpl.     307  Broadway,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  4.     Returned. 
Simms  579505  Clayton  L.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Camp  Merritt  Apr. 
Small  579506  Chester  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     152  Ley  den  St.,   East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Smith  579509  James  H.     Cpl.     23  Lauriet  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Smith  579507  Percival  A.     Pvt.     13  Ridge  St.,  Winchester,  Mass. 

Dec. 
Smith    579513   Percy.     Pvt.     4    Cottage   St.,    Hampshire    Rds., 

Methuen,  Mass. 
Smith  579511  Ralph  T.     Wag. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  13.     Returned.  Dec. 

Sparrow  579508  Stephen  L.     Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Sept.  15. 
Sprague  579510  Harold  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     1451  Central  St.,  West 
Stoughton,  Mass. 


392  The  Fifty-jijth  Artillery 

Stasio  579514  John  R.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Nov.  17. 
Steinfeldt  579515  Harry.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  13. 
Stewart  579516  George  E.     Pvt.     31  Jamaica  St.,  Jamaica  Plain, 

Mass. 
StUes   579517  Herbert  F.    Pvt.    50  Hancock  St.,   Cambridge, 
Mass. 
Transferred  to  Q.  M.  C.  Tours  Dec.  14. 
SuUivan  579518  Frank  H.     Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  Aug. 
Swan  139892  Milton.    Pvt.    Hurley,  South  Dakota. 

May. 
Sweet  297325  Howard  G.     Cpl. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.     Transferred  himself 
to  Bat.  F,  119th  F.  Arty.  Nov. 
Szidat  579519  Arthur  B.     Pvt  1st  CI.     60  Oak  St.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Taylor  579521  Edward  G.    Wag.     15  Ward  St.,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Teeter  297327  Ira  M.     Wag.     Coleman,  Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Thompson    139909    Julian.     Pvt.     ArUngton,    South    Dakota. 

May. 
Tiesenga  297330  John  H.     Cpl.     136  East  Seventh  St.,  Holland, 
Michigan. 
Apr.  22.    Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty. 
Tuleja  579520  Adelbert  J.     Cpl.     56  Moreland  St.,  Roxbury,  Mass. 
Umans  579522  Joseph.    Pvt  1st  CI.     19  Walnut  Place,  Revere, 

Mass. 
VanGemert  579523  Leonard  M.,  Jr.    Pvt  1st  CI.    86  Walnut  St., 

Dorchester,  Mass. 
Vissali  Joseph  J.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Strong  May  16. 
WaUstrom    579525    Henry    R.    Pvt.     16    Glendale   Ave.,   West 

Somerville,  Mass. 
Walsh  579526  William  F.    Wag.    390  Freeport  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
Walton  297333  Howard.    Pvt. 
Apr.  22.  Transferred  from  119th  F.  Arty.  Dropped  sick  Nov.  13. 


Roster — Bat.  F 

Watts  579527  Paul  G.    Pvt  1st  CI.     Ill  N  St.,  South  Boston, 

Mass. 
Watts  579529  William  H.,  Jr.    Pvt  1st  CI.     Ill  N  St.,  South 

Boston,  Mass. 
Wessels  583059  Alois.     Cpl.     900  North  Ninth  St.,  Lyons,  Iowa. 

July.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
White  579528  WiUiam  H.     Pvt.     61  Tremont  St.,  Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Whitley  579530  Bertram  F.     Cpl.     35  Rawson  St.,  Dorchester, 

Mass. 
WUkes  579531  John  W.    Pvt  1st  CI.    408  Lotus  Ave.,  Glendale, 

New  York. 
Wold  139914  Albert.    Pvt.    Scotland,  South  Dakota. 

May. 
Woods  597534  Charles  H.,  Jr.    Sgt.    28  Creighton  St.,  North 

Cambridge,  Mass. 
Woodsum    581006   Harold    C.    Pvt.    North    Sebago,    Maine. 

Nov. 
Wyke  579533  William  A.    Pvt.    3  Blackington  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Yaps  297342  Fred  A.     Pvt.     1417  Beach  St.,  Lansing,  Michigan. 

Apr.  22.     From  119th  F.  Arty. 
ZoUm  578207  Albert  C.     Wag.     30  Bigelow  St.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
May. 


COMMANDING  OFFICERS,  SUPPLY  CO. 

Ralph  W.  Wilson,  Dec.  15,  '17  -  May  25,  '18. 
John  A.  Stitt,  May  25,  '18  -  Nov.  11,  '18. 
James  V.  Clancy,  Nov.  11,  '18  - 

Barstow  578004  Albert  F.  Sgt.  562  Lynn  St.,  Maiden,  Mass. 
Bell  578005  Max  E.  Pvt.  14  Williams  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Bird  578006  George  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     149  Lexington  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Blackett  578007  William  D.    Pvt  1st  CI.    96  Addison  St.,  Chelsea, 

Mass. 
Boisner  578008  Richard  R.     Mech.     Ill  North  St.,  Somerville, 

Mass. 
Brennan  578009  Joseph  M.    Pvt.    310  Ferry  St.,  Everett,  Mass. 

Dropped  Brest  Dec.  26. 
Bruker  578010  Joseph  H.     Cook. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  Nov. 
Bryant  578011  Harry  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.    33  Eutaw  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Burgess  578703  WiUiam  H.    Pvt.     11  Potter  St.,  New  Bedford, 

Mass. 
May.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D,  55th  Arty. 
Burns   578012   Herbert   E.     Pvt.     9   Lash   St.,    Chelsea,    Mass. 
Butler  578013  Walter  J.     Cpl.     17  George  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Cardan  578014  Philip  B.     Mech.     17  Orange  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Cass  578015  William  R.     Pvt.     3  Liberty  Square,  Lynn,  Mass. 
Cook  297334  Frank  L.     Pvt  1st  CI.     R.  F.  D.  No.  5,  WilHamston, 

Michigan. 
July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D. 
Cote  578723  Philip  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     24  Hervey  St.,  Brockton,  Mass. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Ordnance  Dept. 
Coyle  578016  Francis  G.     Pvt.     31  Bullard  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Crutchfield  577854  Floyd  M.     Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd.     74  Shirley  St., 

Winthrop,  Mass. 
Left  at  Ft.  Wright  Feb.  '19. 
Dadley  578017  Frank.     Sup  Sgt.    60  Grove  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Dahlquist   577857  Victor.     Cook.     25   Hillberg  Ave.,   Brockton, 

Mass. 


Roster — Supply  Co.  395 

Oct.     Transferred  from  HQ.   Co.,  55th  Arty.     Went  to  San 
Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Dalton  139233  Robert  C.     Pvt. 

Sept.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C.     Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  Oct. 
Davis  578018  Sol  J.  B.    Pvt  1st  CI.    3032  South  Park  Ave.,  Chicago, 

IlHnois. 
Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Day  578019  William  E.     Cpl.     114  Garfield  Ave.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 

Dropped  Brest  Dec.  26. 
Desmond  578020  WiUiam  J.     Pvt.     215  Bennington  St.,   East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Dodwell  578021  James.     Cpl.     150  Maverick  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Drew   578022   John.     1st   Sgt.     437    Winthrop    St.,    Winthrop, 

Mass. 
Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
DriscoU  578023  Edward  F.     Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd.     13  Blaine  St.,  All- 

ston,  Mass. 
Dudley  578024  Ralph  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     931  Broadway,  Chelsea, 

Mass. 
Fishman  578025  Joseph.     Pvt.     5  Lome  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Francis  578026  Donald  B.     Pvt  1st  CI.     43  Saunders  St.,  North 

Weymouth,  Mass. 
Dropped  Brest  Dec.  26. 
Gavel  578027  Ernest  F.     Mech.     287  Mountain  Ave.,  Revere, 

Mass. 
Glenn  578028  Charles  A.     Pvt  1st  CI.     170  Putnam  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Goldstein  578029  Lewis.     Pvt  1st  CI.     182  Hichborn  St.,  Revere, 

Mass. 
Goodrich  578030  Albert  F.     Pvt.     144  Broadway,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Gookin  578031  John  N.  S.     Cook.     55  Heard  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Gray  578032  Charles  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     393  Meridian  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Griggs  578033  Clifford  S.  Pvt  1st  CI.  Winter  St.,  Waltham,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Brest  Jan.     Returned  to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Hafferty  578034  Walter  T.     Sgt.     951  Broadway,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Hall  578035  Charles  D.     Cook.     161  Bloomingdale  St., ^Chelsea, 

Mass. 
Hall  578037  Daniel  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     161  Bloomingdale  St.,  Chelsea, 

Mass. 


396  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Hall   578039  Walter  B.     Pvt.     587  Broadway,   Chelsea,   Mass. 
Hannabury  578036  Thomas  J.    Pvt   1st  CI.    35  Addison  St., 

Chelsea,  Mass. 
Hanton  578038  Thomas  R.    Sgt. 

Officer's   Training  School  July.     First  enlisted  man  in  55th 

Arty,  to  win  commission. 
Harvender  578040  Dwight  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     50  Garfield  Ave., 

Chelsea,  Mass. 
Hersey   578041   John.     Pvt.    43  Watts  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Horovitz  578042  Max  G.     Pvt.     1  Cedar  Place,  Wakefield,  Mass. 
Horowitz  578044  Hyman  B.     Cpl.     45  Fourth  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Houghton  578043  John  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    31  Dudley  St.,  Chelsea, 

Mass. 
Howard  578045  Thomas  J.     Cook.     14  Arcadia  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 
Hoyt  578046  Henry  H.     Pvt. 

Died  Havre  May  2 — first  death  in  55th  Arty. 
Justason  578047  Wilfred  L.     Wag.     200  Lexington  St.,  Waltham, 
Mass. 

Dropped  Brest  Dec.  26. 
Keyes  578048  Richard  E.     Pvt.     6  Lexington  Place,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Kimball  578049  Robert  M.    Pvt  1st  CI.    34  Pearl  Ave.,  Beach- 

mont,  Mass. 
Langevin  578150  Joseph.    Pvt.    23  North  St.,  Southbridge,  M^-ss. 

Nov. 
Leahy  578051  James  J.  A.    Sgt. 

Transferred  to  Bat.  D  May. 
Law  578050  Harold  A.    Wag. 

Killed  Montfaucon  Oct.  14. 
Mahoney  578052  John  J.    Pvt.     108  Lynde  St.,  Melrose,  Mass. 
Marcus  578053  Hiram.     Pvt.     185  Paris  St.,  East  Boston,  Mass. 
Marsh  578054  George  W.     Pvt.     764  Broadway,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
McCormack  578055  Thomas  P.     Pvt.     102  Webster  Ave.,  Chelsea, 

Mass. 
McDonald  578056  Clarence  A.    Pvt  1st  CI.     Ill  Blossom  St., 

Chelsea,  Mass. 
McGurin  578057  Alfred  J.    Cook. 

Wounded   Montfaucon  Oct.    14.    Died   Vaubecourt   Oct.    17. 
McGurin  580362  Walter  E.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Ft.  Banks  May  16. 


Roster — Supply  Co,  397 

Mclntyre  578058  Allan  R.     Cpl.     116  Falcon  St.,   East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Mendoza  578059  Victor.     Wag.     15  Walnut  Ave.,  Revere,  Mass. 
Mirto  578060  Louis  J.     Pvt. 

Transferred  to  Prison  Camp  June. 
Morrison  578061  James  J.     Mech.  101  Trenton  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Morrison  297306  Thomas  A.     Pvt.    R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Neywaggo, 
Michigan. 
Aug.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.,  55th  Arty.     Dropped  sick 
Sept.  23.     Returned. 
Munroe  578062  Robert  H.     Pvt  1st  CI.     229  Havre  St.,  East 
Boston,  Mass. 
Sick  Brest  Jan.  but  returned  with  Regiment. 
Murrin  578063  William  W.     Pvt  1st  CI.     120  Milton  St.,  Dorches- 
ter, Mass. 
Nugent  578064  Henry  J.     Pvt.     96  Webster  Ave.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
O'Rourke  578065  John  J.    Pvt  1st  CI.    157  Havre  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Peters  578066  Charles.     Cook. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  55th  Arty.  July. 
Punch  578067  Arthur  A.  C.     Cpl. 

Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.,  55th  Arty.  Aug. 
Pyatt  594531  Richmond.    Pvt. 
Transferred  to  HQ.  Co.  May. 
Richardson  578068  Alfred.  Pvt. 

Mail  Orderly.     Dropped  sick  June  18.     Returned.     Again  Oct. 
19. 
Rood  578069  Edward.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Rossetti  578070  Joseph  A.     Pvt.     57  Elmwood  St.,  Revere,  Mass. 
Rowe  578873  Harry.     Pvt  1st  CI.    44  Clarence  Ave.,  Bridgewater, 
Mass. 
June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D,  55th  Arty. 
Savage  579497  Albert  H.    Sgt  Maj  Jr  Gd.    23A  Oakwood  St., 
Dorchester,  Mass. 
Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F,  55th  Arty. 
Schilling  578071  Fred  E.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  Liverpool  Apr.  2. 
Scott  578072  Herbert  S.     Pvt  1st  CI.     83  Paris  St.,  East  Boston, 


398  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Shanahan  578073  Cornelius  J.      Pvt.    437  Bennington  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
SmaU  578075  Henry  F.     Pvt.     226  Havre  St.,  East  Boston,  Mass. 
Smith  2453709  James  M.     Pvt.     53  Chapman  St.,  Charlestown, 
Mass. 
Nov. 
Snow  578074  John  H.     Mess  Sgt.     839  Broadway,  Chelsea,  Mass. 
Stecz  578076  Joseph  W.  Pvt  1st  CI.  122  Beacon  St.,Chelsea,Mass. 
Dropped  sick  Aug.  20.     Returned.     Went  to  San  Francisco  with 
Regiment. 
Suprenant  2453722  Oswald  G.     Pvt.     187  Hampshire  St.,  Indian 
Orchard,  Mass. 
Nov.     Dropped  sick  Camp  Mills  Jan.  26. 
Sweeney  578077  Chester  J.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Aug.  23. 
Thornton  578078  Fred  G.     Pvt.     425  Saratoga  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Tiemey  578079  John  F.    Pvt  1st  CI.    68  London  St.,  East  Boston, 

Mass. 
Trainor  578080  Burton  D.  C.     Pvt  1st  CI.    466  Broadway,  Chelsea, 

Mass. 
Upham  578081  Arthur  H.     Pvt.     253  First  St.,  Melrose,  Mass. 
Vancel    577996    Harley.     Cook.     Tazewell,    Tennessee. 

Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Vanderslice  578082  Charles  R.    Pvt.     18  Montfern  Ave.,  Beach- 

mont,  Mass. 
Yoke  578083  Alfred  J.     Sgt.     106  Orange  St.,   Chelsea,   Mass. 
Walsh  578084  Thomas  P.    Pvt. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  5. 
Wasielewsky  578085  Matthew  J,     Cook.    40  Edison  St.,  Dor- 
chester, Mass. 
Wm  2453779  Arthur.     Pvt.     47  Loring  St.,  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 

Nov. 
WiUiams  578086  Henry  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     120  Saratoga  St.,  East 

Boston,  Mass. 
Wolford  577568  John  S.     Pvt.     Patriot,  Indiana. 

Nov.  11.     Transferred  from  Medical  Detachment,  55th  Arty. 
Went  to  San  Francisco  with  Regiment. 
Wood  578087  David  S.     Pvt.     40  Harvard  St.,  Dorchester,  Mass. 
Zawasky  578088  Joseph.    Pvt.    20  Beacon  St.,  Chelsea,  Mass. 


ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT 

Aubin  578680  Romeo  H.    Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14.     Killed  by  a  truck  Dec. 
Bell  2171594  John  H.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Blanchard  577817  Anthony  J.     Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.   Returned  to  HQ.  Co.  Aug. 
Boucher  297034  George  H.     Ordnance  Sgt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14. 
Bowers  1866979  Raymond  J.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Brown  2480426  Howard  H.     Pvt.     Oct. 

Left  with  guns  Argentolles  Dec.  14. 
Cassise  974787  Michael.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Coff  1867937  James  J.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Commanday   578718   Charles.     Cpl.    21   Balfour   St.,  Roxbury, 
Mass. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14. 
Connoly  576865  Homer  P.     Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C.     Mail  Orderly.     Transferred 

to  Bat.  D  Aug. 
Cote  578723  PhiUip  J.     Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D,  55th  Arty.     Transferred  to 

Supply  Co.  Aug. 
Daur  623300  Frank.     Ordnance  Sgt. 

July.  Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14. 
EUefsen  578260  Charles.     Sgt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Pec.  14. 
Elliot  578261  Maurice  R.     Ordnance  Sgt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B.     Dropped  sick  Apr.  19.     Re- 
turned.    Again  Oct.  29. 
Englund  1867013  Oscar  F.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 


400  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Franklin  2932250  Albert  H.    Pvt.    Oct. 

Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes  Dec.  14. 
George  577167  Emedio.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  A.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Goodell  1868292  George  G.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Gorman  578284  Thomas  J.    Cpl. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Gott  1866753  George  F.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Halvorsen  974816  Edward  L.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Hanley  578292  Edward  A.     Pvt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Hansen  2172732  Hans  P.    Pvt. 

Oct.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes  Dec.  14. 
Hickox  1857059  Louis  C.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Holt  577193  Henry  G.    Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  A.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Hubbard  3453161  Edwin  H.    Pvt. 

Oct.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes  Dec.  14. 
Hwiski  1868517  John.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.    Detached  Aug. 
Jennings  576945  George  E.    Ordnance  Sgt. 

July.    Transferred  from  Bat.  C.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Johnson  1868008  Hilmer  R.  F.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Johnston  296961  Clifton  F.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  F.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Jubette  578781  Ernest  J.    Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Transferred  to  H.  Q.  Co.^Aug. 
Kaiser  974839  Druno  J.    Pvt, 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.    Detached  Aug. 


Roster — Ordnance  Dept.  401 

Klemens  577222  Henry.    Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  A.     Transferred  to  Bat.  D  Oct. 
Lindenburg  974851  Henry  A.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Long  1866821  William  E.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Maloney  1867119  Patrick  J.     Cpl. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Matthews  577923  William  T.     Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14. 
Matthias  1755123  WilUam  J.     Cpl. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug* 
Mickel  3309682  Edward  A.     Pvt. 

Oct.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles  Dec.  14. 
Miller  577935  Otie.     Cpl. 

July.     Transferred  from  HQ.  Co.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14. 
Moge  1868393  Aime  M.  J.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Montgomery  578379  Hugh.     Cpl. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B.     Returned  to  Bat.  B  Aug. 
Munday  974863  John  C.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Nugent  1867378  Henry  J.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Patterson  578853  Harry  J.     Cpl. 

Aug.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14. 
Paulson  1867143  Axel.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Phillips  580013  Charles  R.     Sgt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  E.     Left  with  guns  Argentolles 

Dec.  14. 
Powers  1858493  Daniel  J.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Powers  1866861  Gordon  H.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Reddick  1867158  Robert  M.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
26 


402  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Rennie  578403  John  W.    Sgt. 

June.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Rideout  577021  Cyrus  B.    Pvt. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  C,  55th  Arty.     Dropped  injured 

Nov. 
Royden  1868850  Harry.    Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Savard  578878  Joseph.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  D.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 
Simons  3453279  Arthur  M.     Pvt. 

Oct.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes  Dec.  14. 
Skok  1867175  Edward.     Sgt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Stuhlfauth  2828690  Hans.     Pvt. 

Oct.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes  Dec.  14. 
Tibbs  1544401  Dick  D.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Tidrick  974903  Lenning  F.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Travisano  1868703  James.     Pvt. 

Assigned  by  G.  H.  Q.  Aug.  1.     Detached  Aug. 
Weeks  177191  Albert  E.     Cpl. 

Oct.  by  replacement.     Transferred  to  Bat.  A  Nov. 
White  578450  Edward  A.     Cpl. 

July.     Transferred  from  Bat.  B.     Left  with  guns  ArgentoUes 

Dec.  14. 


MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT 

Allen  3511708  Henderson.     Pvt.     Scurry,  Texas. 

Dec.  4.     Assigned. 
Balashio  2581166  Mike.     Pvt.     Bissaccio,  Italy. 

Dec.  4.     Assigned. 
Bigelow  577535  Emerson  R.    Sgt  1st  CI. 

July. 
Boyce  577536  John  A.     Pvt.     29  Piedmont  St.,  Worcester,   Mass. 
Burnett  577537  Paul  L.     Pvt.     Leicester,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  24.     Returned.     Again  Nov.  20.     Returned 
to  U.  S.  as  casual. 
Corwin  577538  Charles  I.     Sgt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  sick  May  11.    Returned.  July. 

Davis  577539  Louis.     Pvt  1st  CI.     579  Hendrix  St.,  Brooklyn, 

New  York. 
Dixon  577540  George  M.     Pvt.     97  Warren  Ave.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Liverpool  Apr.  2.     Returned. 
Drittler  577541  Max  W.     Sgt.     307  Church  St.,  Boonton,  New 

Jersey. 
Eberly  577542  John  S.     Sgt  1st  CI.     76  EKzabeth  St.,  Plattsburg, 

New  York. 
Erwin  577543  Elwood  J.     Pvt  1st  CI. 

Dropped  wounded  Recicourt  Sept.  26. 
Fairbanks   577544  Arthur  S.     Pvt.     44  Holbrook  St.,   Jamaica 

Plain,  Mass. 
Flynn  577545  Joseph  E.     Pvt.     24  Edgeworth  St.,   Worcester, 

Mass. 
Ford  577546  Chester  E.     Pvt. 

July. 
Gilland  577547  Charles  E.     Sgt.     Centreville,  New  Brunswick, 

Canada. 
Hamilton  810326  Edgar  T.     Pvt.     Newport,  Delaware. 

June. 
Hammond  810327  Levin  E.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Ocean  View,  Delaware. 

June. 
Hanson  810328  Harry  B.     Pvt.     301  Delaware  Place,  Wilming- 
ton, Delaware. 
June. 


404  The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 

Harbert  577548  Horace  L.    Sgt.    Right,  Hardin  Co.,  Tennessee. 

Died  Feb.,  1919,  soon  after  discharge  from  the  Regiment. 
Harrell  577549  Homer  A.    Pvt.    611   College  Ave.,   Eastman, 

Georgia. 
Harvey  577550  Maurice  D.    Pvt  1st  CI. 

Transferred  to  Base  Section  No.  5  Dec.  22. 
Hulbert  577551  Lawrence  F.     Pvt.     103  Pelham  Road,  Neol  Park, 
Wood  Green,  London,  England. 
Mail  Orderly. 
Kaufman  3196201  Max  S.    Pvt.   Gen.  Del.,  Bay  Shore,  New  York. 

Oct.  20.     Replacement. 
Kaull  2886934  Clarence  E.     Pvt.     379  Lincoln  Ave.,  Newark,  New 
Jersey. 
Oct.  20.     Replacement. 
Konhauser  2582323  Daniel  S.     Pvt.    907  Sixth  Ave.,  Ford  City, 
Pennsylvania. 
Oct.  20.     Replacement. 
Lajoie  577552  Joseph  G.  H.    Pvt.    24  Massasoit  Road,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Lewis  577553  Jean  D.    Pvt  1st  CL    410  South  Main  St.,  Goshen, 

Indiana. 
Maier  577500  Thomas  A.    Pvt  1st  CI.     11  Schley  Place,  Rochester, 

New  York. 
Marley  577554  John  E.  Pvt.     Mill  St.,  Auburn,  Mass. 
McClean  577555  WiUiam.    Pvt.    R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Ware,  Mass. 
McCormick   577556   Harry    B.     Pvt    1st    CI.     356   Main    St., 
Concord  Junction,  Mass. 
With   HQ.   Army  Arty.,    1st  Army,   Nov.   2 -Dec.   6.     Mail 
Orderly. 
McLaren  577557  Stanley  R.    Pvt.    Lestan,  HoUingsworth  Ave. 

Hawthorne,  Melbourne,  Victoria,  Australia. 
Merrill  577355  Robert  E.    Pvt  1st  CI.     1  Dartmouth  St.,  Worces- 
ter, Mass. 
Oprendek  577558  Stephen  G.    Sgt  1st  CI. 

July. 
Orr  577362  Charles  W.    Sgt. 

Dropped  sick  Winchester,  England,  Apr.  5. 
Ralph  577559  Lindsay  H.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Stockbridge  Machine  Co., 
Worcester,  Mass. 
Dropped  sick.    Returned  as  casual  Nov.  15. 


Roster — Medical  Detachment  405 

Rankin  577560  Ervin  H.     Pvt.     31  Chestnut  St.,  Camden,  Maine. 
Sewall   577562   Chauncey   M.     Pvt   1st   CI.     170  Tremont   St., 
Boston,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  Apr.  27.     Returned. 
Sherry  577564  John  L.     Pvt.     282  Cypress  St.,  Brookline,  Mass. 

Dropped  sick  July  23.     Returned. 
Walsh  577566  John  J.     Pvt.     548  First  Ave.,  New  York  City. 
Wilkins  577567  Harold  E.     Pvt.     24  Highland  St.,  Plymouth, 

New  Hampshire. 
Wolford  577568  John  S.     Pvt.     Patriot,  Indiana. 

Transferred  to  Supply  Co.,  55th  Arty.,  Nov.  11. 


406 


The  Fifty-fifth  Artillery 


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THE  WOUNDED 

AUen  577079  Arthur.     Bug.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.  Oct.     3 

Alward  577080  Harry  A.     Cpl.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.  Oct.     3 

Anderson  577807  Hekner  H.   Pvt  1st  CI.    HQ.  Co.    Se- 
verely. Oct.    14 
Arena  579839  Nyck.     Pvt.     Bat.  E.     Shghtly.  Oct. 
Aubin  577810  Joseph  C.    Pvt  1st  CI.    HQ.  Co.   Severely.     Oct.    14 
Barry  580409  Gerald  A.     Pvt.  Bat.  A.     Severely.               Oct.      3 
Bowley  577098  Edward  H.     Pvt.     Bat.  A.     Severely.        Sept.  26 
Brey  577106  Lester  K.    Pvt  1st  CI.    Bat.  A.    Slightly.     Oct.     9 
Burden  577110  John  Q.     Pvt.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.  Sept.  26 
Burkholder  577112  John  A.     Cpl.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.        Aug.  14 
Bushey  577829  Albert  O.    Pvt  1st  CI.  HQ.  Co.  Slightly.    Oct.    14 
Coiner  580413  Lloyd  S.    Pvt.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.  Oct. 
Corcoran  259830  James  J.     Pvt.     Bat.  A.     Shghtly.  Oct.    31 
Daley  577133  James  J.     Pvt.     Bat.  A.     Shghtly.  Sept.  26 
Demarteau    576878    Leo    A.    Pvt.    Bat.    C.    Severely 

(shell).  Sept.    1 

Derry  579893  Victor  A.  Pvt.  Bat.  E.  Severely  (shell).  Oct.  3 
Dizel  578250  Joseph  T.     Pvt.     Bat.  B.     Severely.  Sept.    2 

Doble  577141  Lee  F.  Cpl.  Bat.  A.  Severely  (shell).  Aug.  10 
Dowd  577864  WiUiam  F.    Mus  3d  CI.    HQ.  Co.    Shghtly 

(shell).  Aug.  18 

Erwin  577543  Elwood  J.  Pvt  1st  CI.  Med.  Det.  Slightly.  Sept.  26 
Freeman  577876  Lawrence  A.  Pvt.  HQ.  Co.  Shghtly.  Oct.  25 
Guerard  577173  Henry.     Sgt.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.  Oct.    23 

Higgins  577187  John  T.     Bug.     Bat.  A.     Severely.  Oct.     3 

Higgms    578302    Theophilis.     Sgt.     Bat.    B.     Severely 

(anti-aircraft).  Oct.    29 

Jerome  578317  Wendlin  J.  Pvt  1st  CI.  Bat.  B.  Slightly.  Oct.  1 
Johns  577202  CharUe.     Sgt.     Bat.  A.     Shghtly.  Sept.  26 

Jordan  577207  David  F.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Bat.  A.     Slightly. 
Jouannett  579407  Paul  C.    Pvt  1st  CI.    HQ.  Co.    Severely 

(shell).  Oct.     3 

Kelly  577212  Arthur  T.     Cpl.    Bat.  A.    Shghtly.  Oct.     3 

LaChance    579953   Joseph    A.     Pvt    1st    CI.     Bat.    E. 

Slightly. 
LaCroix  578330  Hiram  P.     Wag.     Bat.  A.    Slightly.         Oct.     3 


Wounded  409 

Landy  578788  WiUiam.     Pvt.     HQ.  Co.     Slightly.  Oct.     3 

Lewis  577919  William  S.  Pvt  1st  CI.  HQ.  Co.  Severely.     Oct.    14 
Lueke  577233  Charles  O.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Bat.  A.     Severely 

(shell).  Oct.     9 

Lyons  577234  John  J.     Pvt  1st  CI.     Bat.  A.     Slightly. 
Major  577242  Fred  R.     Pvt.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.  Sept. 

McCoy  577926  Ora  G.     Cpl.     HQ.  Co.     Severely.  Oct.    14 

McEbroy   578363   WilUam   C.     Cpl.     Bat.    B.     Slightly 

(anti-aircraft) .  Oct.      9 

Millette  578834  Jean  S.     Sgt.     Bat.  D.     Slightly.  Sept.    9 

Padgett  577267  George  W.     Cpl.     Bat.  A.     Slightly.         Oct.     3 
Putnam    579481    Emmons    W.     Pvt    1st    CI.     Bat.    F. 

Severely.  Nov.  10 

Shedd    580035    Whitten    D.     Pvt.     Bat.    E.     Slightly 

(shell).  Aug.  22 

Stodghill  577292  Clarence  O.    Sgt.    Bat.  A.    Severely.     Sept.  26 
Terranova    577299    Jacques.     Pvt    1st    CI.    Bat.    A. 

SHghtly.  Oct.     3 

Thomas,  Rene.     Interpreter.     Slightly  (shell).  Oct.    13 

Thornton   580047   Everett  L.     Wag.     Bat.   E.   Slightly 

(shell).  Aug.  22 

Tougas  580049  Alcide  L.  P.     Cpl.     Bat.   E.     Severely 

(anti-aircraft) .  Sept.    3 

Wilkinson  580411  Harold  G.     Wag.    Bat.  A.    Slightly.    Oct.    13 


INDEX 


Alexander,  Charles  W.,    .     .      .     177 

Alky,  the 5,  88,  213 

Allen,  Nathaniel  M 259 

AlUe,  the,  5,  88,  100,  167,  174,  182, 
213,  231 

Amy,  the 88,  167 

Andrews,  Fort       ....       10,  11 

Armory 13,  255 

Army  Artillery,  4,  19,  122,  147,  150, 

192,  200,  229 
Army  Artillery  emblem    .     .      .     196 

Artillery  pranks 191 

Artillery  record  of  Old  First       .     269 
Ashley,  Charles  S.       .     .        241,  256 

Aubi^re,  the 88 

Aultman,  Dwight  E.        .        200,  211 

Avenger,  the 88,  176 

Baker,  F.  H 238 

Baker,  Newton  D.      .      .        238,  245 

Baldwin,  Clark  B 260 

Band,  8,  14,  18,  32,  35,  40,  54,  64, 
80,  92,  96,  105,  113,  141,  193, 
218,  222,  229,  238,  248,  249,  275 

Banks,  Fort 12,  250 

Barker,  J.  W 223 

Bates,  James  C.     .        6,  134,  195,  223 
Battle-flags,    4,    13,    222,    227,    247, 
250,  253 

Beatty,  Smclair  F 259 

Bettcher,  Carl  W.,  59,  73,  163,  176, 
189,  243 

Blaney,  George 249 

Boston  Baby,  the        ....       88 

Bray,  Harriet  A 254 

Breaking  thru  bridge        .     .     .     182 

Breath,  Melvin  B 243 

Brent,  Charles  H 218 

Brighteyes 83 

Bryan,  Pemberton  T.  133, 163, 179, 200 
BuUard,  Robert  L.      .     .  95,  175,  181 

Bundy,  Omar 92 

Burgess,  Louis  R.       .      127,  171,  200 

Butler,  Smedley  D 235 

Butler,  Walter  J 105 

Cameron,  George  H.  .  153,  181 
Cameron,  Kenneth  ....  182 
Camm,  Frank  .  .  6,  108,  120  134 
Campbell,  George  H.  G.  .      .     .     128 

Censorship 42,  49 

Chancellorsville 267 

Chandler,  Wilham  E.  ...  120 
Christening  the  guns  ....  84 
Citations,  4,  5,  23,  55,  101,  207,  208, 

209,  210,  214,  224,  229,  245 
Civihzer,  the 88 


Clancy,  James  V.  .  .  .  223,  249 
Clancy,  John  F.     .      .      .         116,  121 

Clark,  James  F 260 

Clifford,  Thomas  W.  ...  257 
Coast  Artillery       .      .      .         229,  269 

CooUdge,  Calvin 253 

Cooties,       .      .      .    138,  182,  206, 241 

Coulp,  Clarence  W 24 

Cowan,  Mrs.  Charles  E.  .      .     13,  250 

Cowdin,  Robert 259 

Crane,  Conrad  E 141 

Creamer,  Walter  H 254 

Creeden,  David  F 226 

Crown  Prince  of  Prussia,       .  178 

Crusades 74,  180 

Daly,  Joseph  F 260 

Damon,  Mark  M.  .  .  5,  174,  182 
Darnell,  Herbert  C.  .  107,  172,  226 
Davis,    Wilham    C,    28,    152,    171, 

200,  210,  225,  228,  229,  250 
Demosthenes  of  the  55th       .      .       77 
Doble,  LeeF.        .      .      .         100,251 
Dodge,  Chester  E.      .      .  72,  163,  201 

Draft 9,  257 

Duffy,  Robert  T 123 

Dusenbury,  James  S.,  20,  45,  47, 
50,  66,  73,  100,  135,  138,  142, 
163,  169,  177,  186,  188,  194,  249 

Eaton,  Ralph 5,  88 

Edith  Esther,  the  ....  88 
Edwards,  Clarence  R.  .  7,  9,  93,  94 
Ella  G.,  the  ....  5,88,213 
Erickson,  Joseph  A.    .      .         123,  177 

Fay,  Frank  B 243 

Ferguson,  Charles  F 267 

Fire-effect,  168,  183,  184,  185,  201,  213 

Fire-statistics         213 

Firing  orders    .      .    163,  172,  201,  213 

Floss,  the 88,  213 

Foch,    Ferdinand,    43,    81,    94,    137, 

181,  212,  214 
Freeman,  Lawrence  A.     .     .      .     193 

French,  John 239 

Front,  location  of        ....     186 

Funds 3,  13,  241,  242 

Funerals,    78,    105,    172,    188,    194, 

205,  238 
Furnival,  Richard       ...     73,  125 
Fusiliers,  3,  9,  16,  80,  194,  244,  247,  260 
Gatchell,  George  W.,  28,  40,  76,  78, 127 

Gerred,  Ralph  E 104 

Gettysburg       .      .      .      153,  266,  267 

Gibbs,  Joseph  L 256 

Gilmore,  Patrick  S.  .  .  260,  264 
Gower,  Arthur  W 28 


412 


The  Fifty-fifth  ArUllery 


Gunnery 72 

Hamgan,  John      ...    23,  40,  239 

Harris,  James  M 223 

Hawkins,  Walter  A.    .      .        243,  250 

Helen,  the        88 

Helmick,  EUA 237 

Herbert,  CUfiford  V.    .      .      .     67.  162 

Hill,  William  J 186 

Hinds,  Ernest 153 

Hines,  John  L 175 

Hirsch,    George    W.,    73,    163,    201, 

223,  236,  249 

Hodge,  W.  A 6,  134 

Hoffman,  Irving  L 195 

Holbrook,  Marshall    S.,    15,    20,    21, 

73,  140,  163,  172,  176,  225 

Holden,  Samuel  L 190 

Holton,  Herbert  M.    .      .      .     84,  186 

Hopkins,  Edwin  G 23 

Howell,  James  F.,  4,  13,  14.  17,  200, 

250,  251,  252,  254 

Hunter,  Alfred  M 249 

Hunter,  the 88 

Ingham,  W.E 237 

Jackson,    Thomas   J.    ("Stonewall"), 

266,  267 
Jiggerboffus,  the    .     .      .     .88,  147 
"John    Brown's    Body"    song,    260, 

261,  276 

Johns,  Charlie 167 

Joinville,  Count  de     .      .      .      .       95 

Jordan,  Fred  A 5,  88 

Keller,  Erwin 239 

Kimball,  Richard  M.,  73, 163,  201,  223 
Kircher,  Edward  A.,  20,  24,  72,  92, 

108, 125, 160, 189,  243, 257 
Lafayette,  General      ....       81 

Lally,  James  F 5,  176 

Law,  Harold  A.  .  .  187,  188,  254 
Leary,  Thomas  J.  .  .  6,  133,  186 
Leavenworth,  J.  P.     .      .        242,  248 

Lehan,  John  A 174 

Liberty,  the 88 

Lt.  Reed,  the 88 

Liggett,  Hunter,  94,  181,  200,  207,  209 
Little  Rhody,  the  ...  88,  128 
Lombard,  Walter  E.,  13,  255,  259,  271 

Losses 6,  220,  240,  406 

Lucky  Evelyn,  the  .  .  .  88,  128 
MacDougall,  James  G.  .  .  .  223 
McGlachlin,    Edward    F.,    147,    175, 

200,  208,  209,  229 
Mclsaac,  John  R.       .      .      .     47,  106 
McKenna,  Joseph  M.       195,  201,  250 

Mackman,  Cecil 187 

MacMullen,  James  D.      .      .       20, 73 

McNair,  Wilham  S 229 

Madehne,  the        88 

Mailly  ....  70,71,72,73,74 
"  March  of  the  First, "      266,  271,  276 


Marr,  John  ....  23,  40,  239 
Marsh,  Clarence  T.     .      222,  226,  236 

Martin,  Henry  A 171 

Mathews,  Harry  T.  .  .  .  97,  228 
Mathews,  Thomas  R.  .  .  .  269 
Matson,  Joseph     .      .      .        242,  248 

Mead,  Edwin  C 20,  73 

Midget,  the 88,  231 

Mitchell,  Lawrence  C.      .      .      20,  73 

Moreland,  Banks  G 223 

Munson,  Curtis  E 162 

National  Army  .  .  6,  10,  246,  258 
National  Guard,  6,  10,  81,  246,  257, 

259,  260 

Naval  gunnery 30 

Nestor,  James  E.,  5,   163,  172,  200, 

213,  215,  223,  238,  242,  243 
Noellet,  Maire,     61,  77,  79,  84,  85,  86 
No-man's  land  roads  .      .         171,  185 

O'Brien,  John  A 184 

Ostergren,  George  .  .  .  .221 
Palmer,  Frederidc       ....     204 

Pajnie,  Sylvester  S 255 

Pelletier,  Arthur  J 247 

Pershing,  John  J.,  43,  94,  101,  104, 

137,    152,    160,    173,    174,    180, 

181,  199,  215,  227 

Pfaff,  Charles 255 

Pierce,  R.  D 6,  134 

Poland,  Reginald  ....  104 
Poore,  Ben  Perley  ....  260 
Position — most  advanced  192 

Quartet  .  14,  23,  40,  100,  239,  251 
Quinby,  George  F.      18,  255,  271,  272 

Quintard,  Alfred  L 172 

Ranger,  Leon  B 249 

Reed,  Frank  F.      .      .      .  88,  222,  232 

Reilly,  Edward  T 144 

Religion  .  17,  33,  35,  65,  187,  218 
Reynolds,    Earl    R.,    163,    190,    195, 

200,  249 

Rhoades,  Albert  L 237 

Riback,  PhiUp 128 

Riley,  John  D 174 

Ripley,  Alden  S 229 

Roaring  Bertha,  the  ....  88 
Robert,  Arnold  A.  .  .  212,  235 
Roberts,  John  L.,  4,   189,  200,  212, 

222,     227,    232,    233,   236,   249, 

250  252 
Robinson,  Fred  R.      .      .    20,  24,  257 


RoUand,  M.     .     . 

226, 

?29 

Roosevelt,  Kermit 

159 

Roosevelt,  Quentin 
Roosevelt,  Theodore, 

109 

Jr. 

159 

Rose,  Adolph  T.    . 

.     .  57 

,225, 

250 

Rostron,  A.  H. 

.     27, 

28,  31,  34 

Roth,  Harry  C.      . 
Roulet,  William     . 

118, 

130 

194 

Rowe,  John  T.      . 

. 

. 

190 

Index 


413 


St.  Gaudens,  Homer  ....  124 
Scheer,  Charles  H.  E.  ...  247 
Scott,  Fort  Winfield,     6,  245,  246,  249 

Scott,  Frank  J 191 

Sevier,  Granville,  4,  14,  17,  19,  25, 
34,  47,  48,  57,  59,  62,  64,  66, 
77,  78,  85,  91,  95,  106,  107,  131, 
133,  135,  146,  147,  148,  152, 
163,  168,  172,  177,  178,  179,  189 
Shaffer,  Forest  C.,  73,  88,   163,  190, 

201   213 
Shedd,  Benjamin  B.,  18,  20,  25,  45, 
47  58  59 

Sickles,'  Daniel  E 267 

Skinner,  Harry  A 20,  59 

Smith,  Walter  B.,  20,  176,  186,  193, 

200,  215,    217,    223,    240,    243, 
256 

Smith,    WiUiam    L.,    73,    163,    177, 

201,  223 

Spooner,  John  Jones  ....     259 

Stack,  John  G 110 

Standish,  Fort 10 

Stitt,  John  A.,  13,  20,  73,  163,  179, 

186, 195, 201, 241, 254, 256 
Strength,    4,    6,    71,    138,    152,    214, 

220,  228,  237,  247,  249 
Strong,  Fort     .      .      .      .      11,  16,  88 
Strong,  the       .      .      88,  128,  171,  249 

Stryker,  Glover  P 183 

Summerall,  Charles  P.,  181,  200,  212, 

225 
Sumner,  Edward 184 


Target  practise 82 

Terrain  board 74 

Thomas,  Rene 186 

Thompson,  Asa 260 

Tractors      .      .     70,  82,  121,  139,  222 

Train-Band 257 

Varner,  Albert  F 78,  80 

Vercingetorix 22,  69 

Vickers,  Arthur  W.     .      129,  201,  213 

Volunteers 7,  9,  257 

Ware,  Charles  E 243 

Warren,  Fort  ...  7,  11,  12,  261 
Warshaw,  Nathaniel  .      .         162,  173 

Wayne,  Anthony 267 

Webster,  Col.  Fletcher  ...  263 
"We  hit  the  trail  of  the  Kaiser"  3 
Welhngton,  Austin  C.      .      .      .     259 

White,  John  L 259 

White,  Wilham  L 236 

Wilson,   Gary  R.,  20,   73,    107,   109, 

163,  172,  187,  189 
Wilson,  Ralph  W.       .    20,46,59,257 
Wilson,  Woodrow       ...     79,  181 

Winifred,  the 88 

Winn,  John 124 

Winslow,  John 259 

Woolhouse,  William  H.    .      .      .     140 

Wray,  William  E 191 

Wright,  WiUiam  M.    .      .         159,  191 

Yankee  Boy,  the 88 

York,  AlvinC 180 

Yorktown 266 

Youngberg,  Adolph  F.     .    5,  175,  201 


COMMONWEALTH   PRBSS 
PRINTERS 
WORCESTER 
6*  BOSTON 


>^ 

894871 

D610 

,  '3'^ 

■  '^a 

THE  UNIVERSITY  QF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

S.                                                            ^-                                 . 

